Surviving the Healthcare System in America
Posted: 24 Oct 2015 Last revised: 26 Oct 2015
Date Written: October 22, 2015
Abstract
This paper examines major problems that are associated with the healthcare system in the United States. Problems discussed include the rising cost of healthcare in America, high cost of drugs, variation in hospital costs, the proliferation of new prescription drugs that provide little or no improvement over existing drugs, the negative effects of patient satisfaction scores and defensive medicine, and poor lifestyle choices leading to chronic diseases. Given the above, it is not surprising that the United States performs poorly on various health metrics such as longevity and number of maternal deaths. The authors describe what people should do to take control of their healthcare in the United States.
Keywords: Healthcare system, high costs of drugs, adverse reactions to new prescription drugs, new prescription drugs, hospital-acquired infections, defensive medicine, NNT, NNH, RRR
JEL Classification: C00, C10, C40, I20
Suggested Citation: Suggested Citation
Linda Weiser Friedman
Baruch College, CUNY - Zicklin School of Business ( email )
17 Lexington Avenue
New York, NY 10010
United States
HOME PAGE: http://cisnet.baruch.cuny.edu/friedman/