This is the question that’s always up for debate. We’ll start by partially answering it – they’re getting better and worse.
The issue with the US is that it has such a long way to go. The US spends more on healthcare provision than any country ($4.8 trillion in 2023) but still has the worst outcomes. And then there’s the issue that there’s not enough staff to treat the influx of patients flooding into hospitals – most hospitals and organizations use recruiters like MASC Medical to fill the staffing gap, although it is challenging.
So, now we’ll go into more detail – are health statistics getting better or worse in the US? Read on to find out.
Life Expectancy and Mortality Rates
One of the indicators of the population’s health is life expectancy – unfortunately, the US is lagging.
In the previous decades, Americans recorded a shorter life span than people in the wealthiest countries. For example, as of 2022, life expectancy in the US was nearly five years less than the average than in countries like Switzerland and Japan. If they did the study again, it would probably be worse.
The disparity manifests most prominently, particularly for the younger population, where the rise in deaths due to car accidents, gun violence, and opioid overdoses seems to be increasing. Statistics indicate that Americans under the age of 50 have a rate of deaths from these causes higher than that of citizens of other countries, and this limits the overall life expectancy.
Chronic Illnesses and Lifestyle-Related Diseases
Chronic illnesses like obesity, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease are fast becoming the biggest health issues in the US today – well, they always have been, with over 100 million Americans now clinically obese. The nation has the highest prevalence of obesity, which in turn leads to other conditions like diabetes and heart disease.
Studies have shown that the average American adult reaches age 50 with less desirable health characteristics when compared to other European countries and that they are at greater risk of suffering chronic diseases at younger ages.
Diabetes is an additional critical concern that is more pronounced in the United States than in other developed countries – especially for children. Records show 352,000 children and adolescents younger than age 20 years have diabetes.
Healthcare Access and Affordability
One of the contradictions in the American healthcare system is that even though more than any country in the world, the US is quoted as expanding on health care for every citizen, it has a problem with access and affordability to healthcare.
Silos in the healthcare value chain and a high percentage of the population not covered by insurance mean that Americans seek care from healthcare professionals less often as compared to people living in other affluent countries. Americans are more likely to sit on a health problem and postpone care.
There is hope in certain areas of healthcare, such as cancer rates or the development of new therapeutic services, but those numbers are still in the early days of switching to positive.
All in all, American health factors are deteriorating, but something can be done about it. The US must invest more money and resources to tackle its somewhat unique and growing healthcare issues.
