US Health Care Spending: A Comparison to Other Industrialized Countries

[wildman]

Does anyone know how much money does the US Government spend on health care per capita? And how does that compare to other industrialized countries?

If anyone has some actual statistics, I would appreciate it.

Thanks!

 

[fourier jr]

Here are the highlights of US health care spending, from the OECD:
http://www.oecd.org/dataoecd/46/2/38980580.pdf
(it's included in the OECD Health Data 2007, which costs money)

As you can see, health spending per capita is more than twice the OECD average. I would say health spending in the US has gone far beyond the point of diminishing returns.

here's the Reuters coverage of it:
http://www.reuters.com/article/healthNews/idUSN1424771220071115

"We do not get good value for our health care dollars," Karen Davis, president of the Commonwealth Fund, told reporters in a telephone briefing. "The United States falls short when compared to other countries."

The Fund, which commissions research on health care and advocates for universal coverage, issued a scorecard in October 2006 that gave the United States a rating of 66 out of a possible 100 on 37 health indicators such as premature death and infant mortality.

Earlier this week the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development noted that Americans spend far more than any other country on health care at $6,401 per person per year in 2005, compared to the OECD average of $2,759.

 

[wildman]

Thank you very much. That was exactly what I was looking for. It is always good to have the raw facts when discusing things like health care.

 

[bbhannah]

Hi! I happen to be from a country which really has a lot to do in the departments of the health care sector. Its amazing for me at least to see the figures that US spends on health care. I would like to know who are the bodies that are entitled or eligible to give us grants for bettering the health welfare services. Further what criteria should be met for the same? Any suggestions would be most appreciable.