Interesting. So having to wait 11 months for an MRI earns you high marks in the 'efficiency' column? Seriously? And they again falsely use life expectancy as a gauge for health care quality. In most countries, infants that die within 2 weeks of childbirth are not counted against fatality statistics. Yet in the US, they are, thus driving our life expectancy lower, even though there is no place on earth that boasts a better chance of survival for infants than the United States.
And the study mentions Thailand's rise from previous years, citing their medical tourism industry. Yet the only reason they have a medical tourism industry is because people who can pay out of pocket go there to escape the long waiting lines of their high-efficiency-ranked home countries.
Sure, Hong Kong and Singapore received top rankings. Their populations are centrally concentrated, making service much easier. But put those systems in place in Brazil or Russia, and it all falls apart.
What we need is less regulation - not more. Let doctors do what they do best - treat patients. Let medical suppliers do what they do best - sell supplies. Let clinics do what they do best - sell X-rays or MRIs. And let patients buy only what they want instead of being forced to subsidize insurance for others. If we had less insurance, and if we put the patient back into the consumer role, you will see efficiency rise, costs fall, and overall satisfaction increase dramatically. But then do that, and the government will no longer be in charge.
