The United States pours more money into health care than any other country, spending hundreds of billions annually on research, sprawling programs, and high-profile initiatives. Yet the returns are shockingly poor: soaring costs, deep inequalities, and outcomes that trail behind other developed nations. Both the medical and research systems have become bloated, inefficient, and increasingly disconnected from the real needs of patients.
The U.S. Cancer Moonshot is a textbook case of this dysfunction. Launched by President Obama in 2016 with Vice President Biden leading the charge, it promised to transform cancer care—accelerating research and saving lives. Touted as a bold mission to achieve 10 years of progress in just five, it secured more than $2 billion in funding. Biden made it his personal crusade, later reviving and expanding it as president. But nearly a decade later, the results are underwhelming. Announcements were made, papers published—but transformative change? Still missing. So much for five years.
