Healthcare is Sick and Treatment is Expensive.

Is the U.S. healthcare system expensive, complicated, dysfunctional, and broken? The simple answer is yes to all. The United States faces challenges in its healthcare system, marked by unsustainable costs, poor outcomes, medical errors, and health disparities.

The simplest way to view the U.S. healthcare crisis is the problem of sick care vs. wellness care. This is the fundamental issue and while this problem is solvable, resolving it demands a substantial effort and it will be a major undertaking. Presently, it is easier to pretend there is no clear answer and project the image that everyone is diligently working to seek a solution.

In reality, clear answers exist; nevertheless, the profitability of sick care pays extremely well. The lucrative nature of treating the sick, developing innovative technologies for treatment improvement, and the profitable business of extensive research for elusive solutions currently drive the system.

This viewpoint isn't rooted in cynicism or conspiracy; rather, it stems from a pragmatic business standpoint. Addressing the massive challenges of the healthcare system is complex and demanding, with financial incentives favoring the status quo. The problems are systemic; effecting change in the healthcare industry requires a systematic approach involving numerous organizations and industries. It would demand a significant financial investment, likely costing billions and impacting the lives of millions of people.

However, implementing systemic solutions could result in improving the health of millions of people, saving billions of dollars and benefiting future generations. Yet, presently, the cultural and business costs associated with solving this issue seem too high. Consequently, we’ll continue pretending there’s no solution—yet! Over the years the healthcare system has become broken and is ingrained in society as the cultural norm.

For the time being, we continue forward until a day arrives when enough leaders unite to make the decisive choice to bring about change, similar to the transformations seen with seatbelts, smoking, alternative energy, and climate change. Through these collective actions, it is possible and inevitable that our culture will undergo meaningful change.

Is the US healthcare system expensive, complicated, dysfunctional, and broken? The simple answer is yes to all. The excessive costs combined with high numbers of underinsured or uninsured means many people risk bankruptcy if they develop a serious illness.