Why Can't We Innovatively Disrupt the U.S. Health Care System?

"In order for a business to be disruptive, it must gain a foothold in a low-end market that had been ignored by the incumbent in favor of more profitable customers. ...a truly disruptive business begins with low-quality offerings, then eventually captures the mainstream market by improving quality." Clayton Christensen, Harvard Business School professor

UBER and Lyft are innovatively disrupting the taxi and transportation industries.

AirBnb is innovatively disrupting the hotel/motel industry.

NetFlix is innovatively disrupting entertainment viewing channels.

Casper is innovatively disrupting the bedroom mattress industry.

WeWork is innovatively disrupting the whole concept of work.

OpenDoor is innovatively disrupting the real estate sector.

Katerra is innovatively disrupting traditional construction.

Renewable and clean energy are innovatively disrupting fossil fuel and nuclear energy providers.

So why isn't anyone innovatively disrupting our failing health care system currently heavily tied to Wall Street and un-compassionate, lobby-tied politicians?

Here is what I found when I searched the Internet:

- M.R.I. in the USA averages around $2,900 versus $335 in the U.K., $300 in Australia and $800 in Canada.
- Bypass Surgery in the USA averages around $150,000 versus $14,000 in the U.K., $28,000 in Australia and $17,000 in Canada.
- Hip replacement in the USA averages around $40,000 versus $12,000 in the U.K., $28,000 in Australia and $18,000 in Canada. 
- Normal birth delivery in the USA averages around $16,500 versus $2,600 in the U.K., $6,800 in Australia and $3,500 in Canada.

My recent out-patient hernia surgery was nearly $28,000, of which I paid nearly $3,000 out of pocket. (Recently discovered I could of have that same surgery at a medical center down the road for about $22,000!). That same surgery in the U.K. would have been approximately $3,500, in Australia about $5,300 and in Canada about $4,000.  

I recently met a gentleman who needed hernia surgery and was not insured. He created a GoFundMe account to help with his bill. 

Did you know that nearly 650,000 Americans went bankrupt in 2016 due to medical expenses, while no one went bankrupt in the U.K., Canada, France, Japan or Germany due to medical expenses?

The health and education of a nation's citizens are paramount for its growth and vitality. These two conditions are intertwined ...

"When countries invest in education, their government improves. If complaints help drive accountability, then teaching complaining—like has never been done before—could lead to enormous collective benefits. If “dissent is the highest form of patriotism,” as is often said, complaint might be the height of public service." Stephan Lurie, Highly Educated Countries Have Better Governments


"Better health is central to human happiness and well-being. It also makes an important contribution to economic progress, as healthy populations live longer, are more productive, and save more." World Health Organization 

Take time to educate yourself on our health care system and how it is delivered. Get out of your health care echo chamber. Challenge your assumptions. Stop believing everything you think about health care delivery in other countries. Consider:

How could the United States' assets be used differently, ideally to solve the health care problem that impacts over 300 million citizens? What are you passionate about in helping to solve the health care problem?

Who is doing an awful job in solving health care issues, and who could do a better job developing better health care? Are you willing to get involved?

What do we, the collective citizens, need in order to create better health care? Where are the underserved? How could we solve their problems?

Pew Research Center has found over 60% of Americans believe that the government should ensure that everyone has health care coverage.

Dr. Robert Zarr, Washington D.C. pediatrician and past president of Physicians for a National Health Program, says single-payer insurance would cost no more than people are paying right now. Instead of paying premiums, deductibles and co-pays, Zarr said, they would pay taxes to provide health care for everyone. “We’re spending enough.” he said. “We’re just not getting what we deserve.”

I do not mind investing in myself and my family or helping others to invest in better living from which we all benefit beyond what we realize. How can we invest in more defense of this country, if we are a country of poor health?

I do not get free health care coverage as a benefit of where I work. I am a part of a pool of people who pay roughly 25% of their health care coverage of just under $18,000 per year. I would have no heartburn paying "tax" of $4,500 per year, or $375 per month or $12/day to a national system in which everyone is covered, including those with pre-existing conditions, college students and those living below the poverty line.

Health care needs to become an "easy date." Health care needs to become hospitality centric rather than shareholder centric. 

I would appreciate not having to spend time worrying about being in network or out of network and continuously providing proof of correctly spending my FSA and HRA accounts. I believe a national system would eliminate the "middle-man" - health insurance companies that tie health care to Wall Street, which benefits investors over patients thus reducing the cost of an insurance "tax." Take time to examine the Canadian health care system which is not a government-delivered system. It's not perfect, but offers more to all, especially the marginalized.

I believe there could be a sliding scale of payment based upon your ability to pay and your age, as well as incentives to be healthy including eating correctly, controlling your weight, getting better sleep, stopping the use of all forms of tobacco products, wearing seat belts, wearing motorcycle helmets and bike helmets, overcoming addictions and reducing stress.

Let's put a stop to accepting an ineffective, status quo health care system that benefits some and not all.

Read more here: http://www.charlotteobserver.com/living/health-family/karen-garloch/article137002063.html#storylink=cpy