PratchettFan
Gold Member
- Jun 20, 2012
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I have heard repeatedly that the United States has the best health care in the world. I think it can be shown without any difficulty we have the most expensive health care - but "best" is a relative term.
In terms of expense, we have the highest cost of health care per capita - hands down. No one is even close to us. We are 50% higher than the runner up - Norway. But how do you determine overall quality? Difficult, but I would offer that one method would be life expectancy. I think it is a reasonable assumption that the healthier a population is, the longer you could expect them to live. So let us do a comparison of per capita cost vs life expectancy.
Japan: $2,729 per capita LE - 83.91 years
Italy: $2,870 per capita LE - 81.86 years
Spain: $2,902 per capita LE - 81.27 years
U.K.: $3,129 per capita LE - 80.17 years
Austrailia: $3,353 per capita LE - 81.9 years
Sweden: $3,470 per capita LE - 81.18 years
Belgium: $3,677 per capita LE - 79.65 years
France: $3,696 per capita LE - 81.46 years
Germany: $3,737 per capita LE - 80.19 years
Austria: $3,970 per capita LE - 79.91 years
Netherlands: $4,063 per capita LE - 80.91 years
Canada: $4,079 per capita LE - 81.48 years
Switzerland: $4,627 per capita LE - 81.17 years
Norway: $5,003 per capital LE - 80.32 years
United States: $7,538 per capita LE - 78.49 years
As you can see, while we are the most expensive system on the list, we are also at the very bottom of the list when it comes to life expectancy. I find it difficult to see that as being the "best". I suppose the bright side is that by dying a couple of years early you save yourself $15 K.
An interesting note. All of the above countries have universal health care, except the United States.
For those of you who wish to see for yourselves:
Snapshots: Health Care Spending in the United States & Selected OECD Countries - Kaiser Family Foundation
https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/rankorder/2102rank.html
Now, let us take it as a given that by using actual information I am, by definition, a godless communist or whatever perjorative you wish to use in lieu of an argument. Does anyone have any actual facts to dispute this? I would love to see them.
In terms of expense, we have the highest cost of health care per capita - hands down. No one is even close to us. We are 50% higher than the runner up - Norway. But how do you determine overall quality? Difficult, but I would offer that one method would be life expectancy. I think it is a reasonable assumption that the healthier a population is, the longer you could expect them to live. So let us do a comparison of per capita cost vs life expectancy.
Japan: $2,729 per capita LE - 83.91 years
Italy: $2,870 per capita LE - 81.86 years
Spain: $2,902 per capita LE - 81.27 years
U.K.: $3,129 per capita LE - 80.17 years
Austrailia: $3,353 per capita LE - 81.9 years
Sweden: $3,470 per capita LE - 81.18 years
Belgium: $3,677 per capita LE - 79.65 years
France: $3,696 per capita LE - 81.46 years
Germany: $3,737 per capita LE - 80.19 years
Austria: $3,970 per capita LE - 79.91 years
Netherlands: $4,063 per capita LE - 80.91 years
Canada: $4,079 per capita LE - 81.48 years
Switzerland: $4,627 per capita LE - 81.17 years
Norway: $5,003 per capital LE - 80.32 years
United States: $7,538 per capita LE - 78.49 years
As you can see, while we are the most expensive system on the list, we are also at the very bottom of the list when it comes to life expectancy. I find it difficult to see that as being the "best". I suppose the bright side is that by dying a couple of years early you save yourself $15 K.
An interesting note. All of the above countries have universal health care, except the United States.
For those of you who wish to see for yourselves:
Snapshots: Health Care Spending in the United States & Selected OECD Countries - Kaiser Family Foundation
https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/rankorder/2102rank.html
Now, let us take it as a given that by using actual information I am, by definition, a godless communist or whatever perjorative you wish to use in lieu of an argument. Does anyone have any actual facts to dispute this? I would love to see them.