A call for an American social care system: Social services reimbursement to address fragmented care

The United States spends far more than any other country on health care for comparatively worse outcomes. Despite an injection of $4.3 trillion dollars to address medical needs, the United States ranks last on several outcomes including infant mortality, maternal mortality, preventable mortality, and life expectancy in a group of 11 comparable, developed economies. The total spend from medical and social care in the developed economies is similar, whereas the outcomes are far better in economies with increased social expenditures. This discrepancy is potentially due to the allocation of resources to address upstream actors (social care) and root causes of health that could be more cost efficient.