Tuesday, April 7th, 2009 - 11:35 Healthcare remains one of the
most pressing issues facing us today. The U.S. healthcare system
continues down what most experts have concluded to be an
unsustainable path, mired by ever-increasing costs, inconsistent
quality, and access pressures. The U.S. spends over $2 trillion
on medical care annually, which according to the Organisation
for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), represents
about 2.4 times the average of other OECD countries. “Though
Americans spend [more than] twice as much per person as citizens
of other industrialized countries, their health status is no
better and by many measures actually worse.” In fact, some
researchers estimate that as much as 30 percent of healthcare is
not contributing materially to patient outcomes. As chronic
illnesses such as diabetes, heart disease, and high blood
pressure continue to grow, managing them places tremendous
stress on an already overextended system. Over seventy-five
percent of total healthcare dollars is