"A Secret to Better Health Care" - Robert E. Rubin and Kenneth L. Davis
Kenneth L. Davis, MD, President and CEO of the Mount Sinai Health System discusses the relationship between health care costs and spending on social programs. According to Dr. Davis, one reason the United States spends more on health care than any other nation — more than 17 percent of gross domestic product, compared with an average of nine percent for other advanced economies — is that we spend far less on social services like food stamps, free school lunches and public housing. Dr. Davis explains that many factors influence discrepancies in health care spending and outcomes between the United States and its counterparts: vastly different views about the financial incentives in health care; the high cost of prescription drugs, diagnostic tests and administrative expenses; and cultural expectations about end-of-life care. “We won’t effectively reduce costs, and improve outcomes, until we think bigger and recognize the critical link between health care spending and social programs.”
— Kenneth L. Davis, MD, President, CEO, Mount Sinai Health System
Additional coverage: Crain’s Health Pulse (No Web Link Available)