While health spending is rising faster than incomes in most
developed countries, it is rising fastest in the United States,
which already spends far more per person than any other country,
according to a report prepared by the Kaiser Family Foundation.
“Since 1980, the U.S. also has had among the highest average
annual growth rates in per capita spending on health care,” the
report notes. “Despite this relatively high level of spending,
the U.S. does not appear to provide substantially greater health
resources to its citizens or achieve substantially better health
benchmarks, compared to other developed countries.” The report
concludes: Faced with expanding public deficits, and growing
health care costs, American policy makers may elect to examine
the tools employed by other countries to rein in costs. The
growing difference between America’s spending and other
developed countries may encourage an examination of what people
in the U.S. are getting for their healthcare dollar. To learn
more: - Read the Kaiser