So back to college I went—for a week. The School of Public Health at Columbia University in NYC stimulated me and the other YPO healthcare company presidents to test our views in light of the academic studies of American healthcare financing, insurance, reform, current issues and solutions. I loved it…and I loved my new college buddies.
I found it interesting, for example, that we American’s also differ from the rest of developed nations in these ways –
We make fewer visits to a physician (3.9 compared to 7.6 times per year).
Our lengths of stay in hospitals are shorter (6.1 compared to 10.2 days).
We have lower rates of tobacco smoking.
So, why are our costs relatively higher? There are many easy--though wrong--suggestions; including lack of social services, poor specialty / primary care mix, and liability-driven excess care. Instead the primary drivers are our 1) high prices and 2) the volume of high tech services.