The Commonwealth Fund 2017 study looked at health systems in 11 high-income countries. Health care in the United States ranked last in almost every category, making it the worst health care system among the most developed countries.
Rising health care costs, declining quality of care, and the growing number of Americans without health insurance could all play a role in America's low ranking. Today, these problems continue to plague the health care system in the United States and possibly now more than ever.
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Want fast, hard data on medical costs, quality, and more in the United States? You have come to the right place. Read on for the current state of healthcare in the United States.
Health care costs in the United States
Per capita, the United States spends more than $ 10,000 each year on health care. This is more than double that of developed countries such as the UK, Australia, France, Canada and New Zealand.
American employers spend more per capita on health care premiums than comparable countries. Private employers spend $ 4,092 per person in the United States, which is five times higher than runner-up Canada.
In 2018, health care spending per capita was 290% higher than in 1980. On average, US citizens spent $ 2,900 per person in 1980. Meanwhile, American adults today spend more than $ 11,000 per person per year.
The United States ranked first with the highest percentage of GDP (16.9%) spent on health care costs in 2019. Compared to similar developed countries, this is nearly double the average. Switzerland is in second place and spends 4.7% less as a percentage of GDP.
National spending
CMS estimates that total national health spending should reach $ 6.2 trillion by 2028. This amount is higher than the $ 3.6 trillion spent in 2018 and grew at a rate of 5.4% between 2019 and 2028.
The growth rate of national health spending is 1.1% higher than the projected GDP growth rate (4.3%). Meanwhile, the market share spent on healthcare will increase from 17.7% in 2018 to 19.7% in 2028.
The Burden of Healthcare Costs in America
40% of adults in the US underwent a necessary test or treatment in 2018 due to costs. Additionally, 30% of Americans say they will have to choose between necessities and pay a medical bill if a surprise bill arrives.
At the same time, the cost of health insurance premiums increases. Average national premiums increased to 30% in 2016 and grew faster than average individual income during the same period.
The higher burden of health costs could be due to the high prevalence of the High Deductible Health Plan (HDHP). The average annual discount was $ 3,069 in 2016. This compares to the national average of $ 1,975 just six years ago.
Meanwhile, more than half of the nation's bankruptcies are due to medical expenses. 66.5% of bankruptcies in 2019 are due to a sudden medical bill.
How Healthy Are Americans?
Despite having one of the most expensive healthcare systems in the world, the United States has one of the lowest life expectancies in the developed world.
Life expectancy was just 78.6 years in 2017. This is well below the average enjoyed by most developed countries, as the Swiss are expected to live an average of 83.6 years.
Even the life expectancy of black Americans is lower in the United States. The average life expectancy for non-Hispanic Americans is 75.3 years. That's 3.5 years younger than the average white American (78.8 years).
Newborn Death
In 2017, the infant mortality rate in the United States was 5.8 deaths per 1,000 births. That's more than 22,000 infant deaths in 2017 alone. States like Oklahoma, Arkansas, Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, and Tennessee have been the leaders in infant mortality.
Infant mortality rates also differ between racial and ethnic groups, as does life expectancy.
African American babies are twice as likely to die in childbirth as Hispanic and non-white babies. Black American babies are approximately four times more likely to die in childbirth than Asian Americans.
Chronic Diseases
In the United States, we waste a lot of money paying for preventable chronic diseases, including:
- Diabetic
- Obesity
- Heart disease
- Lung diseases
The United States leads the rate of chronic diseases and obesity. The United States also has one of the highest hospitalization rates in the world due to diabetes and high blood pressure, only behind Germany.
The importance of health insurance in the United States
Compared to similar countries, the United States has the third lowest doctor visits per capita. Americans tend to see a doctor only four times a year, half the rate in leading countries like Germany, the Netherlands and Australia.
The nation also ranks first with the lowest number of practicing physicians per 1,000 people. Norway leads the way with about five doctors for every 1,000 inhabitants. The United States only provides half.
The shortage of physicians in the United States and low rates of medical visits are associated with insufficient demand for medical services. The lack of demand is due, in part, to the fact that the United States has the second highest out-of-pocket expense in the developed world.
Switzerland tops the list with an average of $ 2,069 spent. The United States lags far behind with $ 1,122 spent on out-of-pocket health care needs each year.
What Happens When American Citizens Are Uninsured?
The number of uninsured or uninsured people in the United States is contributing to out-of-pocket costs.
From 2016 to 2017 and again from 2017 to 2018, the number of uninsured American adults increased. In 2018 alone, the number of uninsured people increased by half a million from the previous year.
Most of the uninsured are low-income adults. People of color are also at a higher risk of insecurity due to cost. For these people, there is the option of giving up needed care (1 in 5 people do so) or facing debt due to unaffordable medical bills.
Perhaps that is why people without health insurance are more likely to have serious health problems. Most of these conditions can be prevented with proper preventive care.
Sign up for health insurance for California residents
With the current state of health care in the United States, health insurance is the only way to reduce medical costs. More importantly, having an insurance plan can mean the difference between life and death.
Looking for HMS and Medicare insurance plans? Sign up for your insurance plan now!
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