Episode 18 | Why the US Spends the Most on Healthcare But Gets the Worst Outcomes
- Whitney Vadeboncoeur
- Jun 19
- 3 min read
LISTEN BY CHOOSING YOUR PLATFORM
About this Episode:
In this episode of Only Healthcare, we tackle the fundamental question: Why does the US spend more on healthcare than any other country yet rank last in outcomes?
Key Topics:
The cost-outcome paradox – How $12,000 per capita spending leads to worst-in-class life expectancy and preventable death rates among developed nations
System misalignment – Why emergency care dominates over preventative care, driving up costs while reducing effectiveness
Administrative waste – The $600 billion to $2 trillion in wasteful spending caused by middlemen, lack of transparency, and disconnected care
Patient empowerment strategies – Practical steps individuals can take to navigate the system, from research and advocacy to choosing integrated care models like Mayo Clinic and Kaiser
Despite the challenges, this isn't about bad medicine or bad people – it's about broken processes that can be fixed through transparency, accountability, and putting power back in the hands of patients and providers.
🎧 Listen now: onlyhealthcarepodcast.com
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Chapters:
(00:00) Introduction
(01:00) US healthcare spending vs. outcomes data
(03:00) Emergency care cost drivers
(05:00) Insurance coverage and preventative care gaps
(08:00) Administrative waste and pharmaceutical pricing
(12:00) Successful healthcare models (Mayo Clinic, Kaiser, Cleveland Clinic)
(17:00) Patient advocacy and proactive health strategies
(22:00) Human toll and social determinants of health
For feedback or to suggest topics for future episodes, reach out to us at onlyhealthcarepodcast@gmail.com.
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Hosted by: Michael Navin & Randy Vogenberg, PhD
This Podcast is sponsored by:
Peek: Peek is reimagining access through innovation, technology, connectivity, and partnership. Peek offers a comprehensive and unique suite of solutions to help clients improve access and affordability for prescription drugs.
The Peek Meds Marketplace is one of Peek’s differentiated offerings that gives employers a revolutionary new approach to controlling runaway prescription costs for their employees by providing unprecedented transparency, simplicity - and cost savings. The Peek Meds Marketplace aggregates cash discount cards, manufacturer copay offset programs, and an employee’s insurance information to provide a holistic and personalized view of prescription price options. This easy-to-use platform offers a one-stop-shopping experience for prescription drugs.
Peek’s team has decades of experience in the pharmaceutical industry and offers various services to biopharma manufacturers, brokers, benefits consultants, third-party administrators and employers. Visit peekmeds.com to learn more.
Institute for Integrated Health (IIH): Health care benefits, insurance coverage regulations, and doing business in the healthcare industry can be complicated. At IIH, Dr. Randy Vogenberg and his team understand these unique challenges and provides strategic guidance customized to every client. To help overcome your unique challenges, IIH delivers education, planning and advisory on market trends, and U.S. health care market intelligence. The firm’s decades of proven success are due to strategic collaboration with associates from the business, clinical, and scientific communities. https://iih-online.com/.
Music by:Hanu Dixit, https://www.youtube.com/hanudixit
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