Republicans are struggling to fix America’s dysfunctional health-care system

“THE REPUBLICAN PARTY will soon be known as the party of health care—you watch,” President Donald Trump declared in March. “We’re coming up with plans.” Alas, like many of Mr Trump’s claims, this one proved untrue. Days later, following conversations with Mitch McConnell, the Republican Senate majority leader, Mr Trump admitted via tweet that his much-touted health-care proposal would in fact be delayed until at least 2021 after “Republicans hold the Senate & win back the House”.

Republican reluctance to embrace health care, despite the president’s best efforts, is understandable. On the one hand, America’s health-care system is woefully dysfunctional: the country spends about twice as much on health care as other rich countries but has the highest infant-mortality rate and the lowest life expectancy (see chart). Some 30m people, including 6m non-citizens, remain uninsured. And yet, though costs remain a major concern—out-of-pocket spending on insurance continues to rise—Americans say they are generally satisfied with their own health care. Eight in ten rate the quality of their care as “good” or “excellent”. Few are in favour of dramatic reform.