U.S. healthcare falls short in survey of 7 nations
"Americans spend double what people in other industrialized countries do on health care, but have more trouble seeing doctors, are the victims of more errors and go without treatment more often"
"The report said Americans spent $6,697 per capita on healthcare in 2005, or 16 percent of gross domestic product. All the other countries spent less than half of that -- $3,128 in Australia or 9.5 percent of GDP, $3,326 in Canada or 9.8 percent of GDP, down to a low of $2,343 in New Zealand or 9 percent of GDP."
A 1998 statistical display of combined public and private spending on healthcare
We top the list.
An August, 2007, article on life expectancy in the United States: US Slipping in Life Expectancy Rankings
"Americans are living longer than ever, but not as long as people in 41 other countries."
"Something's wrong here when one of the richest countries in the world, the one that spends the most on health care, is not able to keep up with other countries," said Dr. Christopher Murray, head of the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation at the University of Washington.
Murray further stated, "The starting point is the recognition that the U.S. does not have the best health care system. There are still an awful lot of people who think it does."
