The Cost of Health Care, By Country: Canada half as expensive as the United States

Per Capita Cost of Health Care (by country) – National Geographic Magazine

http://blogs.ngm.com/blog_central/2009/12/the-cost-of-care.html

The Cost of Care

December 18,2009

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(Alan here from Pax on Both Houses: To understand the above graph, you must view the enlargement. If Click to enlarge graphic does not work, visit http://blogs.ngm.com/.a/6a00e0098226918833012876a6070f970c-800wi  When the enlargement appears, hover your cursor over the graph and click. Be sure to follow the red line all the way to the top... and all the way to the bottom.)

The United States spends more on medical care per person than any country, yet life expectancy is shorter than in most other developed nations and many developing ones. Lack of health insurance is a factor in life span and contributes to an estimated 45,000 deaths a year. Why the high cost? The U.S. has a fee-for-service system—paying medical providers piecemeal for appointments, surgery, and the like. That can lead to unneeded treatment that doesn’t reliably improve a patient’s health. Says Gerard Anderson, a professor at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health who studies health insurance worldwide, “More care does not necessarily mean better care.”  —Michelle Andrews  

Posted by National Geographic Staff | Comments (74)