Chapter One: Understanding Health Care in the US

Published: January 16, 2020

Health care in the United States is among the best in the world when it comes to access and quality of care. Many cross-country comparisons use qualitative instead of quantitative comparisons, leading to misleading. The truth is that the United States health care system has some of the highest survival rates from life-threatening diseases, and the vast majority of innovation in health care comes out of the United States.

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Video Recorded: August 22, 2019

Discussion Questions:

1. What are some misguided beliefs about the American health care system?
2. What are the trade-offs to single payer health care systems?

Additional Resources:

• Watch the Joint Economic Committee meeting with Scott Atlas, ““The Potential for Health Savings Accounts to Engage Patients and Bend the Health Care Cost Curve.” Available here.
• For much more detail on Scott Atlas’ health care plan, read his book Restoring Quality Health Care: A Six-Point Plan for Comprehensive Reform at Lower Cost, available here.
• Read Scott Atlas’ chapter “Transformational Health Care Reform” in Blueprint for America here.