Why is the American healthcare system so criticized? What impact does it have on patients? Find out the facts behind the figures and watch the explanatory video. Watch the full video here :
A system that intrigues and shocks
The American healthcare system regularly makes the headlines… but not always for the right reasons. With its exorbitant costs, complex bureaucracy and millions of uninsured or poorly insured people, it is often held up as an example not to be followed.
TiboPov‘s video, entitled “The SHOCKING truth about the US healthcare system”, highlights these issues in a clear, hard-hitting style. This article aims to analyze these points, put them into a wider context and show the real impact on Americans.
The main criticisms highlighted in the video
Even insurance doesn’t guarantee financial security for patients. Care and hospitalization can quickly add up to astronomical sums. To illustrate this reality, here are a few concrete examples of medical fees in the United States:
| Type of care / service | Approximate average cost (USD) |
| Consultation with a general practitioner | 150 – 300 |
| Specialist consultation | 200 – 500 |
| Plain radiography | 100 – 1 000 |
| MRI | 400 – 3 500 |
| Hospitalization (per night) | 2 000 – 5 000 |
| Normal delivery | 10 000 – 15 000 |
| Minor surgery | 5 000 – 20 000 |
Even with insurance coverage, deductibles and co-payments can leave the patient liable for several thousand dollars. This situation generates not only financial stress, but also massive inequalities in access to care.
Stifling bureaucracy
In addition to costs, the American system is characterized by administrative complexity. Patients must navigate between forms, pre-authorization requests and reimbursement denials, while hospitals and insurance companies prioritize profit over well-being. This dual constraint makes access to care slow, complicated and often inequitable, exposing millions of people to avoidable health risks.
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The real situation: figures and data
The statistics confirm what the video highlights. Although the United States spends nearly 18% of its GDP on healthcare, the country lags behind its counterparts on indicators such as access to care, equity and health outcomes. Millions of Americans remain under- or uninsured, leading to medical debt and avoidable death. This situation reflects a system focused on profit rather than prevention or public health, where illness paradoxically becomes an important economic driver.
Poor health performance and the paradoxes of the American system
Despite spending the most on healthcare in the world, the United States is struggling to achieve satisfactory public health results. According to a study cited by People, the country ranks last among several wealthy nations on key indicators such as access to care, equity and health outcomes. This means that, despite a huge health budget, many citizens face major obstacles to consulting a doctor, obtaining treatment or accessing preventive services. The situation is particularly worrying for low-income populations or those living in rural areas, where access to healthcare can be extremely limited. This paradox – spending more to get less – illustrates a fundamental problem: a system geared towards profit rather than the overall health of the population.
A disease-driven economy
The U.S. healthcare sector not only accounts for a considerable share of GDP, but is also an engine of employment for millions of people. This economic dimension partly explains the resistance to far-reaching reforms: private hospitals, insurance companies and medical industries generate massive revenues. However, as the Financial Times points out, the system remains inefficient in health terms. Care is often expensive, fragmented and difficult to navigate, and prevention is not sufficiently encouraged. Instead of reducing illness and long-term costs, the system maintains a model where illness itself becomes an economic commodity, creating a vicious circle that benefits certain players while leaving the majority of citizens vulnerable.
The human impact: lives at stake
The cost and inefficiency of the system have dramatic human consequences. It is estimated that around 85 million Americans are underinsured or totally uninsured. For these individuals, an unexpected hospitalization, surgery or even a chronic illness can turn into a financial catastrophe. This leads to medical bankruptcies, treatment refusals and, in some cases, avoidable death. As The Guardian points out, these figures are not just abstract statistics: behind them lie families in debt, patients unable to receive vital care, and a glaring disparity between rich and poor. This reality shows that the American healthcare system, for all its economic might, is failing in its most fundamental mission: to protect the life and health of its citizens.
Comparison with other healthcare systems
Unlike the United States, where access to healthcare depends largely on insurance and income, healthcare systems in Europe and Canada guarantee universal coverage for all citizens. In France and Canada, healthcare is collectively financed, ensuring equal access and reducing inequalities.
These systems also benefit from centralized expense management, limiting unnecessary costs through collective negotiation of tariffs and administrative simplification. Finally, they give priority to prevention and overall patient care, rather than focusing solely on profitable treatments.
This comparison shows the extent to which the profit-centric American model differs from universal approaches, and why it is often problematic for the most vulnerable populations.
Health and health insurance: a vital but problematic link
Health andhealth insurance are inextricably linked in the United States, where medical coverage largely determines access to care. Unlike many countries with universal systems, Americans are often dependent on private insurance, usually provided by employers or purchased individually. This dependence creates a paradox: having insurance does not always guarantee full access to treatment, and many citizens remain underinsured or uninsured. The high cost of premiums, deductibles and co-payments can discourage patients from consulting a doctor or following their treatment correctly, with serious consequences for public health. Thus, health insurance, which is supposed to protect, sometimes becomes an additional obstacle in a system focused on profit rather than patient welfare.
