the absolute crappy health-care system our pharma and scientific masters have created.

[Croft Woodruff]

We Can Do Bettter?????

The folks at prestigious Johns-Hopkins are making some surprisingly salient big-picture observations about the absolute crappy health-care system our pharma and scientific masters have created.

While you're at it, put aside the medical attention you receive, which you're generally happy with, according to most surveys. Instead, immerse yourself in the harrowing statistics: The United States spends $2.1 trillion a year on health care. More than 30 percent of that — about $700 billion — has nothing to do with improving people's health. Instead, it goes to administrative costs and for tests and treatments that aren't necessary.

Unecessary tests and treatments? Who'da thunk?

"The best of the best of our health system is the best in the world," says William R. Brody, president of Johns Hopkins University, who will retire from his post at the end of the year. "But the average is not so hot. We need to do better."

Euphemistically speaking, Yes, the average is " not so hot". Honestly speaking,  it's crap, served in a crap sandwich. Bogus tests to scare people and sell toxic, expensive drugs that have so many side effects, you need MORE toxic, expensive drugs!

One way to attack the cost issue while treating patients better is to re-emphasize primary care. Barbara Starfield, a professor at the Bloomberg School, found that when primary care physicians lead medical teams, health improves and costs fall. The more physicians there are, the more mortality is reduced.

Quoting the great Barbara Starfield is always a good thing. Particularly, her acknowledgement that US doctors and hospitals kill 225,000. See Starfield, JAMA (2000) 284:483-485   

Proportionately, Canada's health care is not  much better - Croft Woodruff