The blog Random Critical Analysis has made a good argument that Americans spend so much on healthcare simply because Americans spend so much on everything. Healthcare isn't exceptional in this regard. If you replace the usual GDP per capita measure of income by a measure of actual individual consumption, the US lies right on the trend line, just with higher healthcare spending and higher overall consumption than everyone else.
https://randomcriticalanalysis.com/2018/11/19/why-everything...
On the flip side, why can't we enlist money and resources from the private sector to quickly fix some of these supply issues? For example:
- Convert car factories to produce masks and ventilators.
- Convert construction companies to build makeshift hospitals. (Or use hotels.)
- Use tech companies to improve national information access with regards to CV19 testing and track and help patients using their software on their phones to help with contact tracing.
I realize that it's not as simple as pressing a button and instantly converting a factory that makes Teslas into one that makes masks. I also realize there are potential privacy concerns with nationalized information tracking.
But, we're about to enter an unprecedented public health crisis. We have resources that can lessen the impact if we just align and get behind this direction.
I can't help but think we could do more and not just wait for the shortage to happen, and for the curve to spike.
We stockpile enough nukes to basically destroy the whole Earth (exaggeration but you get the idea), but we can't stockpile some ventilators and face masks in case of a pandemic? You can't fight a pandemic with diplomacy. At least you can fight a foreign enemy with that.
https://www.npr.org/sections/goatsandsoda/2020/03/16/8149292...