Early Data Show the Pandemic’s Dramatic Effect on the U.S. Health System

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Early Data Show the Pandemic’s Dramatic Effect on the U.S. Health System A new issue brief assesses what is currently known about COVID-19’s effect on the U.S. health system and discusses how the pandemic may reshape current trends in health outcomes, spending, access and affordability, and quality of care. Among its key findings: As of October 2020, spending on health services and prescription drugs is down by 0.5% compared to the previous year. This historic drop in health spending reflects sharp declines in utilization, as many Americans have delayed or missed routine and preventive care during the pandemic. COVID-19 is the third leading cause of death in the U.S. and will likely lead to a drop in life expectancy – a measure by which the U.S. already lags behind similarly large and wealthy countries. The pandemic will also likely worsen the overall U.S. mortality rate, due to 2020’s excess mortality rate and the effect of delayed and forgone care on long-term health outcomes. COVID-19’s disproportionate impact on Black, Native American, Hispanic, and low-income people in the U.S. will likely lead to widening disparities in health outcomes for these groups. The analysis draws on the latest update to the Peterson-KFF Health System Dashboard, which compiles over 100 indicators of U.S. health system performance and quality. Users can explore trends over time, as well as disparities and differences across demographic groups. The dashboard also includes indicators comparing health outcomes and spending in the U.S. to that of similarly large and wealthy countries. The brief and the Health System Dashboard are available on the Peterson-KFF Health System Tracker, a partnership between the Peterson Center on Healthcare and KFF that monitors the U.S. health system’s performance on key quality and cost measures. Filling the need for trusted information on national health issues, KFF (Kaiser Family Foundation) is a nonprofit organization based in San Francisco, California.
Contact: Ashley Joyce | (202) 654-1348 | ajoyce@kff.org
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