With the aging of the population and attempted reform to our healthcare system, healthcare has become a prominent issue in the media today. Refer to the video (see Resources Area), “World-Class Healthcare: Why Isn’t the U.S. the Best?”, and respond to the following:

• Why does the United States have poorer health outcomes even though we spend more on healthcare than other countries around the world?
• How can differences between American and Canadian healthcare be explained by culture?

Now, reflect back on your experience with healthcare in the US and respond to the following:

• How has your experience been impacted by social factors? For example, what kind of neighborhood did you grow up in? What did you eat as a child? How much exercise did you get?
• How might these factors have affected your health and healthcare?
• How would the healthcare you receive be different if you had been born in a low-income country such as Ethiopia?