The picture of health in America is not so rosy

For end-of-the-year columns, it’s customary to recap events of the past 12 months, usually highlighting a mix of good and bad. Because this year has been dominated by health, and my beat is health, it seems fitting to reflect on where we are. Where we are is not good.

A headline in the Los Angeles Times seemed to sum up the current state of the U.S. health care system: “Bodies pile up, patient care falters as COVID-19 devastates L.A. County hospitals.” In the Times’ story, a hospital critical care nurse says, “No one would believe this is the United States.” Indeed, they would not.

A story fro...