The Commonwealth Fund just released their annual report on health care in post-industrialized nations. In comparing 7 countries (Australia, Canada, Germany, Netherlands, New Zealand, UK, US) the US ranked last in every category (except only second to last in Quality) despite spending 2-3 times the dollars on health care per person. Why are we paying so much and getting so little? Interestingly, the Netherlands ranked first overall and spent half as much as the US. The Netherlands has the highest rate of homebirth in the Western world at 30%. Coincidence? I don’t think so. Homebirth with midwives is a key component of high-quality, low-cost healthcare. Our government needs to ensure that homebirth midwifery is legal, reimbursed by insurance companies (including Medicaid), and respected by OBs and other medical providers of maternal health. Then we, as a nation, will see our costs come down, our outcomes improve and birth satisfaction increase. It’s a win-win-win situation. Let OB’s focus on what they do best: high risk pregnancies/ births and complications.
Read NPR’s article here. View the Commonwealth Fund chart here.