A large number of Americans are currently suffering and dying avoidable deaths, directly as a result of the health care system. Although America spends more per person on health care than any other country, it is not getting what it pays for. The U.S. ranks 50th in life expectancy and 47th in infant mortality.
And doctors deserve some of the blame; many have little appreciation of the science of medicine and the scientific method. They prescribe treatments they believe to be appropriate instead of therapies that are known to be appropriate based on objective evidence.
According to CNN:
“Too often, doctors fail to distinguish what is scientifically known from what is unknown, from what is believed ... There is often selective reading of the science, especially by those trained in a specialty wanting to advocate for it ... [B]lame also rests on hospitals, drug and device manufacturers, insurance companies, lawyers, politicians, government and even with patients ... The cold hard reality is America does not need to reform health care, we need to transform health care.”