The Commonwealth Fund commissioned a study that measured 37 aspects of the U.S. health care system against either the best-performing nations in the world or the best medical practices in each category. The final grades, based on a score of 100, wouldn't make any parent feel proud:

Longevity

69

Quality of Care

71

Access to Care

67

Efficiency

51

Equity (among income and races)

71

OVERALL SCORE

66

SOURCE: Commonwealth Fund National Scorecard on U.S. Health System Performance, 2006