Study Statistics (US compared to other Countried)

A batch of statistics to use in my research.

• In 2016, the US spent 17.8% of its gross domestic product on health care, and spending in the other countries ranged from 9.6% (Australia) to 12.4% (Switzerland). The proportion of the population with health insurance was 90% in the US, lower than the other countries (range, 99%-100%)

• Life expectancy in the US was the lowest of the 11 countries at 78.8 years (range for other countries, 80.7-83.9 years; mean of all 11 countries, 81.7 years)

• Administrative costs of care (activities relating to planning, regulating, and managing health systems and services) accounted for 8% in the US vs a range of 1% to 3% in the other countries

• For pharmaceutical costs, spending per capita was $1443 in the US vs a range of $466 to $939 in other countries

• The US had similar rates of utilization

All of the statistics found in this study let us conclude that the US spends about twice as much as other countries on Healthcare but has the same rates of utilization. Also, the major factors of the cost difference are the price of labor and the goods in health care.

Papanicolas I, Woskie LR, Jha AK. Health Care Spending in the United States and Other High-Income Countries. JAMA. 2018 Mar 13;319(10):1024-1039. doi: 10.1001/jama.2018.1150. Erratum in: JAMA. 2018 May 1;319(17 ):1824. PMID: 29536101.