The Complexity of American Healthcare

2min Snip

00:00

Play full episode

Summary

Transcript

Episode notes

Americans spend an unbelievable amount of it on healthcare. That spending is forecast to rise by about 5.5% year over year over the next eight years. A lot of that spending comes from two federal programs: Medicaid and Medicare. The changing model is something called value-based care, which means essentially that Medicare and Medicaid will pay a set amount for a patient's forecasted healthcare costs for a set period of time.

For decades, leftist policies first espoused by Juan Perón have dominated the country’s politics. But as electioneering begins it is clear that rampant inflation is driving voters away from Peronism and toward the populist right. We examine why big American retailers see opportunity in providing primary health care (9:33). And our annual list of the world’s most liveable cities (15:38).

For full access to print, digital and audio editions of The Economist, try a free 30-day digital subscription by going to www.economist.com/intelligenceoffer