BOSTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The Physicians Foundation, a nonprofit organization that seeks to empower physicians, today announced the publication of a “letter to the editor” in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) addressing the notion that healthcare spending in the United States exceeds that of other high-income countries. The study, “Health Care Spending in the United States and Other High-Income Countries,” was conducted by researchers at the Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health and published in March 2018.
The authors conclude that the U.S. spends nearly twice as much on healthcare but with similar utilization rates compared to other nations (United Kingdom, Canada, Germany, Australia, Japan, Sweden, France, the Netherlands, Switzerland and Denmark). The driver, according to the authors, is the cost of labor and goods.
However, in response, the Physicians Foundation board members and Texas Medical Association leadership Lou Goodman, PhD, CAE, and Joseph Valenti, MD, focus on the main underlying cause: the U.S. has the lowest social services to healthcare spend ratio yet the highest rates of poverty. The connection between social spending, utilization and total cost of care is being more closely examined at the federal level. Additionally, provider systems and commercial payors are becoming more aware of the significant connection between poverty and healthcare costs, seeking social programs to address both cost and health outcomes. The Physicians Foundation has been steadfast in its view that programs must be created to address the pervasive, debilitating effects of poverty on healthcare costs, resource utilization and overall patient outcomes.
The full letter to the editor can be viewed here. For more information about the Physicians Foundation, please visit www.physiciansfoundation.org.
About the Physicians Foundation
The Physicians Foundation is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization that seeks to empower physicians to lead in the delivery of high-quality, cost-efficient healthcare. As the U.S. healthcare system continues to evolve, the Physicians Foundation is steadfast in its determination to strengthen the physician-patient relationship, support physicians in sustaining their medical practices and help practicing physicians navigate the changing healthcare system.