U.S. Healthcare System
This country spends more per capita on healthcare than other developed nations, but often has worse outcomes.
What is the United States?
This payment model encourages doctors to perform more procedures to earn more money.
What is fee-for-service?
This type of physician is declining because it is less profitable than specialization.
What is a primary care physician?
The film aims to make Americans more informed participants in this process.
What is healthcare reform?
This term describes a system in which healthcare is largely run for profit rather than for public service.
What is the medical-industrial complex?
The documentary claims billions are wasted on these types of medical services.
What are unnecessary tests and procedures?
Doctors are often pushed toward these higher-paying fields due to financial incentives.
What are medical specialties?
Reducing unnecessary care is one way to address this major problem.
What are rising healthcare costs?
The documentary argues that this type of system leads to higher costs and inefficiencies.
What is a for-profit healthcare system?
Expensive machines and technologies are often overused to justify their cost.
What are diagnostic technologies (like imaging machines)?
The documentary suggests patients are treated as these in a profit-driven system.
What are profit centers or commodities?
Experts in the film argue for better alignment of incentives with this goal.
What is patient well-being or quality care?
Compared to other developed nations, the U.S. spends roughly this much more per person on healthcare.
What is about twice as much?
This imbalance occurs when well-insured patients receive too much care while others receive too little.
What is over-treatment vs. under-treatment?
This traditional relationship is weakened when profit motives dominate care decisions.
What is the doctor-patient relationship?
This type of care model is emphasized as more efficient and cost-effective.
What is primary care?
This contradiction is highlighted: high spending, but these types of health outcomes.
What are poorer or worse health outcomes?
According to the film, this economic principle is “turned inside out” in healthcare markets.
What is supply and demand?
This ethical issue arises when financial incentives influence medical decisions.
What is conflict of interest?
The film suggests that controlling costs while maintaining quality requires changing this fundamental driver.
What are financial incentives?