How is the current American medical model unsustainable?
What passes as the gold standard for healthcare in this country is so costly that it is now out of reach for some 44 million uninsured Americans. We have established an expectation for a level of care, based on unsustainable practices and technologies, which cannot be extended even to the majority of Americans. When coupled with increasing environmental degradation across the globe, we have created a situation where what is defined as the best healthcare cannot even begin to meet the current and future needs of the global population. As many experts are all too aware, we are reaching a global crisis that lives at the intersection of human health and environmental sustainability. We have reached a point where how we think about medical care and delivery matters deeply. Sustainable, cost-effective, and widely available medical practices must be prioritized wherever possible.
