It's not particularly news that the U.S. came in last in the Commonwealth Fund's latest ranking of seven industrialized nation's health-care systems, since we did the same in 2007, 2006 and 2004. (We also spent the most on health per capita -- $7,290 in 2007 compared to an estimated $3,387 in the top-ranking Netherlands.)

What is interesting to ponder is whether -- and if so, how -- the recent health-care overhaul bill will help boost the U.S.'s future performance on the measures of quality, efficiency, access to care, equity...