The Paradox of US Healthcare: The Facts

The United States spends more money per capita than nearly any other developed country, and that number continues to rise each year. In 2016, the number was predicted to average to over $10,000 per person per year. That puts the US as the top spender for healthcare among all developed nations (Alonso-Zaldiver, 2016 & Brink, 2017). In the future, healthcare costs are expected to only continue to rise (Custer, 2016). Interestingly, that money is spent disproportionately among the population. It is estimated that 50% of healthcare expenditures are incurred by only 5% of the population. This proportion has been consistent since the 1970’s (Fitzpatrick et al., 2015). Despite the incredibly high amounts of money spent per capita on healthcare expenditures, the US scores significantly lower than other comparable nations in measures of health outcomes. For example, when compared to other countries of similar size and wealth, the US has higher overall mortality rates, wait times to see a doctor or nurse when necessary, and overall visits to the emergency room. It also has the highest rate of deaths that could have been potentially prevented by healthcare, hospital admissions related to preventable diseases, and rates of medication and lab errors among all comparable countries. The US also has significantly higher mortality rates for endocrine, metabolic, and respiratory diseases than similar nations (Sawyer & Gonzales, 2017 & Bort,2017).

While the picture of the state of US healthcare is bleak overall, there are some select bright spots. For example, the US seems to treat some types of cancer well. The US has slightly higher 5-year survival rates for colorectal and breast cancer, as well as lower overall mortality rates for both. Across the board for all types of cancers, the US mortality rate is slightly lower than the average of comparable countries. The US also has some positive surgical outcomes. It ranks lower than a few of its peers in rates of post-operative clots, retained surgical items, and post-operative sepsis (though higher than all peer countries in rates of post-operative suture rupture). Finally, the US has significantly lower 30-day mortality rates for heart attacks and ischemic strokes (Sawyer & Gonzales,2017).

- See how the US compares to other countries in health outcomes.