9 Mind-Boggling Things About U.S. Healthcare

The United States healthcare system is an extremely dysfunctional, complicated, and costly structure that hinders hundreds of thousands of Americans. It’s not uncommon for Americans to feel a significant and stressful financial burden due to accessing necessary medical care, and with a lack of transparency between insurance providers, physicians, and policyholders, what is deemed “necessary” can be misconstrued.

Furthermore, there’s a large problem with Americans having uneven access to healthcare and a lack of insurance, essentially, severely limiting access to care and treatment. Many mind-boggling things about United States healthcare really confuse foreigners. Today we’ll be diving into some strange, complicated, and malfunctioning points concerning the American healthcare system. By the end, you’ll understand why tourists and newcomers struggle to understand the United States healthcare system.

1. Health Insurance

Health insurance in the United States by private and public sources. While there’s a large number of countries that offer universal health care coverage, unfortunately, the United States isn’t one of them, and that can be puzzling to newcomers. Residents can have employer-based plans, individual plans, Medicaid or Medicare, or be uninsured. The country doesn’t have a universal health care program, which baffles many. A primary care visit without insurance can cost approximately $203 each time, so expenses add up quickly. The country has approximately 25.3 million uninsured people, and this brings heaps of problems. The United States is the only developed country that doesn’t have a universal health care plan. 

2. Shopping for Doctors

It’s a common practice in the United States to change doctors and try new ones until you find the one that you really vibe with. People may change doctors because of price, opinions, or just not liking the doctor’s bedside manner. There are approximately 1,109,460 physicians in the country, with California having the most with approximately 119,000. The population of the country is approximately 345,662,949, so there’s a physician shortage with limited access to healthcare for marginalized groups. If someone is financially well-off, they can visit any doctor at any time, but for someone where money is more of an issue, it’s definitely not as easy.

3. High Costs

The high costs in the United States to access health care can be astronomical for many. Below are some estimates about how much healthcare costs in the country. It’s easy to see that without insurance, it can be very challenging for Americans to access necessary care. For foreigners coming from a country that does offer universal health care, this can be surprising.

• Ambulance trip: $400-$1200.
• Air ambulance: $2000-$200,000.
• ER Visit: $150-$20,000.
• Breast cancer treatment: $48,000-$300,000.
• Brain cancer treatment: $50,000-$700,000.
• Pancreatic cancer treatment: $31,000-$200,000.

4. Drive-Thru Pharmacies

Drive-thru pharmacies offer quick and efficient service in the United States, but some people unfamiliar with this might think that it diminishes the significance of the patient-pharmacist relationship. Even though drive-thru pharmacies offer a more steam-lined process and reduce the traffic buildup at the pharmacy counter, some people worry about the security of private information and the potential for errors with it being operated as a fast-paced service.

5. Medical Lawsuits

Medical malpractice is one of the leading causes of death in the United States, and annually there are approximately 20,000 malpractice lawsuits filed. It’s a very common occurrence for a patient to file a lawsuit against their doctor. In other countries, it’s far less common, and many physicians work their entire careers without being named in one. Foreigners, tourists, and visitors may be baffled by the normalcy of medical lawsuits in the United States.

6. Focus on Treatment Rather than Prevention

The United States has a focus on treatment rather than prevention, and for many, this is strange. More healthcare crises can be dodged by routinely going for check-ups and focusing on prevention. With healthcare costing a small fortune, it’s more common for people to go to the doctor when something is wrong rather than to ensure that everything is good.

7. Pharmaceutical Costs

The pharmaceutical costs in America are huge, and a staggering number of adults have even admitted to not taking medications as prescribed because of the cost. There is a lack of price regulation, and therefore pharmaceutical companies can set their pricing. This can lead to medications becoming quite costly, and for people who are from countries that have pharmaceutical cost laws, this can be very shocking.

8. Emergency Rooms as Primary Care Facilities

In most countries, the emergency room is for just that: emergencies. But, in the United States, many people have to use emergency rooms for other needs because there is a lack of equal access to healthcare services, along with the financial burden for the uninsured. This can come as a shock to others who don’t have the same healthcare stresses.

9. For-Profit Hospitals

The United States allows for-profit hospitals, and that is a concept that makes many scratch their heads confused. For-profit means that it is owned and operated by a private group or company, and its primary goal is to generate profit for the shareholders. This can greatly affect healthcare decisions, pricing, service, and much more. It can be hard for non-Americans to understand how a hospital is run as a profitable business. 

The Takeaway

While there are many mind-boggling things about the healthcare system in the United States, these 9 things are incredibly confusing. The high costs associated with accessing healthcare paired with drive-thru pharmacies and high pharmaceutical costs are all things that foreigners find strange. While the United States is modern and innovative, one could argue that its take on healthcare is questionable and inefficient. With the size of the country and how evolved it is, it’s surprising to many that it lacks a universal health care system and has so many people uninsured and therefore, receiving limited access to quality care. For people from countries with equal access to affordable, fair, and quality healthcare, it can be startling to learn about the United States.