U.S. Leads Industrialized Nations In Health Care Costs, Falls Behind In Quality: Study

Health care costs are higher for Americans than for citizens of other industrialized countries but we don't always get the best results, according to a new study.

Health care in America costs more than in other industrialized nation and we aren't even getting the world's best care for our dollars, according to a new study.

The United States spent $7,960 per capita on health care in 2009, the most of 13 industrialized nations in the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, reports the Commonwealth Fund, a research institution. That's almost three times the amount spent in Japan, which has the lowest expenses of the countries reviewed.

Americans pay the highest prices for physician visits, hospital treatments and prescription drugs and get expensive diagnostic tests like MRIs at a higher-than-average rate. More Americans are obese, too, though the nation's population is younger than all the other countries but New Zealand and is the least likely to smoke cigarettes than people anywhere but Sweden, according to the report.

Escalating prices for health care and high use of potentially wasteful, inefficient and unnecessary medical services are the main reasons for the rapidly escalating cost of health insurance, the growing ranks of the uninsured and the fiscal burdens of Medicare and Medicaid. Big price tags also lead Americans, even those with health insurance, to go without care they need.

"This high spending cannot be attributed to higher income, an older population or greater supply or utilization of hospitals and doctors. Instead, the findings suggest the higher spending is more likely due to higher prices and perhaps more readily accessible technology and greater obesity," says the report, authored by David Squires, a senior research associate at the Commonwealth Fund. Prices also vary widely among health care providers, according to the report.

"Health care quality in the U.S. varies and is not notably superior to the far less expensive systems in the other study countries," the report says. For instance, although the U.S. has the best survival rate for breast cancer patients and shares the lead on colorectal cancer survival with Norway, survival among cervical cancer patients is the middle of the pack. The U.S. also is the worst at preventing deaths due to asthma among people aged 5 to 39 years and is the most likely to amputate the limbs of diabetic patients.

Earlier on HuffPost:

These countries spend the most on health care, according to 24/7 Wall St.:

Comments

[Ryan Kenneth Leddy]

12:46 AM on 06/23/2012

I remember on TV during the Supreme Court arguments over Healthcare reform that there was two groups of people outside of the court building. One was a group of people who were in support of the bill mostly because most had either knew someone or had been denied healthcare coverage or kicked off coverage themselves. No one was making the argument that this healthcare plan is perfect, but it was clearly a step in the right direction and a huge improvement over the system.

The other group outside of the Supreme Court building was the Tea Party. Most of them either had signs or were personally saying that they were against the law because it was a Government takeover or that it inflicted upon their freedom. They had no other clear stated reason why they opposed the bill. I mean, they say they want freedom and civil liberties yet at the same time they want the Government to stop people of the same sex from getting married and were the ones saying that giving up civil liberties for safety is a fair trade in defense on the Patriot Act.

75% of all bankruptcies are medically related. No one should be punished for getting sick.

[Mary Cody]

04:38 PM on 09/16/2012

Which countries have a better health plan than we do? Ryan no one was denied medical care. You are telling stories that never happened. In the hospitals I am familiar with, you have to admit someone to the hospital whether or not they have healthcare. Again, I reinterate, you don't throw out the baby with the bath water. What was working should be continued and what needed change should be changed. You again are generalizing with the same sex marriage. Did you hear anyone in the Tea Party say that. Ryan, you are writing about apples and oranges. Either discuss the health plan or discuss same sex marriage. I won't even bother writing about your last item very confused. You try to figure that out on your own about civil liberties and safety in fair tade defense. Think, Think, Think Logically

[Emiliano Estrada Castro]

09:49 PM on 05/05/2012

In other words, this regrettable, almost tragic situation is simply due to the application of profit driven capitalism to health care services where every provider, from doctors and hospitals to pharmaceutical companies, is looking first and foremost to make money and second or third, to truly address the health issues of the patients. Most of the other industrialized nations have public health systems of a quality superior to ours at much affordable prices, but they wisely left the greedy profit seeking out of the equation. At least, four essential services should be freed from monetary speculation everywhere in the world: food, housing, education and health services.

[FaceReality2]

08:52 PM on 05/05/2012

This is the real American exceptionalism.

[becky bradshaw]

09:53 AM on 05/05/2012

In most markets, an over-abundant supply results in reduced prices. But medicine is a field where the practitioner has significant control of demand. A Doctor that is not fully utilized can diagnose any number of ailments, and not be "wrong".

We have far too many doctors and hospitals. We should raise the qualification bar such that the bottom third of both are culled from the herd. Contrary to the notions of our Hypochondriac Society, this will improve our health.

[FaceReality2]

11:34 AM on 05/05/2012

"In most markets, an over-abundant supply results in reduced prices."

Hospitals have high fixed costs, and quality of care suffers if prices fall below a certain level.

[becky bradshaw]

11:56 AM on 05/05/2012

Did you even read the article? The obvious conclusion is there is no link between the price we pay for medical care, and the quality of care received, or, if there is a link, the quality of care is inversely proportional to the price.

[Mary Cody]

04:40 PM on 09/16/2012

AMEN

[Rick4646]

09:02 AM on 05/05/2012

We got to stand up for the premise of health care for all -- President Obama's health care bill is a good start if it passes mostly bought-out SCOTUS. Americans need to be more vocal, the GOP is trivializing our health care, denying coverage to pay for more unneeded tax breaks for the rich. We need to work toward public option or single-payer

[hisashota]

10:01 AM on 05/05/2012

agreed...medicare for all.....no one who works fro medicare make 100 of millions in bonus ...or salary.

[LoyalDem4646]

04:25 AM on 05/05/2012

What else is new. You think the GOP is against Obamacare because it's bad? Obamacare will force prices to come down and they can't have that. It's no different than the housing market. Healthcare cost are inflated and it's just a matter of time before it reaches its peak and collapses.

[Mary Cody]

04:42 PM on 09/16/2012

What - Where have you been in a cave. How can prices come down in healthcare. Your acting as though it is a bottle of milk.

[dtallwalk]

11:49 PM on 05/04/2012

In the best of time and the worst of times (Bush depression) health care costs only go one way… UP
If the high court strikes down the ACA and with the majority being conservatives it‘s more than likely
They will. Then we start over or should I say we stay the same where costs continue to go UP
And med care for seniors go’s under or worse go’s privet. Then health care providers begin to consolidate and down size and even close their doors it’s not a case of it may happen but more a case of when. And all the people who said we don’t want it where will they be they will be looking at their paychecks and saying man this insurance cost as much as my house. And corp. calling every one out to the floor and saying we can no longer afford the health care so you are on your own. and when seniors go to the ER for help you will see your premiums go up a bit well a lot. Then what who know we will have to stay toned to see. GOP quote (we have the best health care in the world) yea as long as you
Are elected to Washington you will be fine. let’s keep the commerce going yea right.
Thanks GOP

[jmdziuban1]

02:29 AM on 05/05/2012

if the Supreme Court strikes down the ACA, then the only viable alternative is some type of single payer system. As you mention, the alternative is staying with the present situation, which will only see increases in costs, and less and less people being able to aford insurance and health care overall.

[rfstevens]

04:28 PM on 05/06/2012

So? The rights' propaganda machine has been spewing misdirection, disinformation, distortions, and out-and-out lies non-stop since the last election. They now have a majority of Americans believing that the Affordable Care Act is an evil thing. You are right, a single payer system is the only answer - and has been the only answer since the beginning. But the rookie president was still naively thinking the repubs would compromise in return for his giving that up. Obama was too caught up in the Abraham LIncoln political model to come to realize that was a silly thing to do. Country before party? Not in these times.

[Mary Cody]

04:49 PM on 09/16/2012

Firstly, if people are not working, no one will be supporting Obamacare. The Government does not seem to be ble to support it, they are in such debt. How will this work with no money. So, the only people that will have health care will be the people in Washington. That is why they are not concerned with what happens. They are only concerned who is elected, so some of them have embraced Obamacare. Stop arguing amongst each other DEMAND THAT THE CONGRESS MOST ALSO BECOME PART OF OBAMACARE.

[ashabot]

10:19 PM on 05/04/2012

Gee...do ya think?

[hellothereandhere]

09:49 PM on 05/04/2012

The physicians love to take pictures, specially MRIs for a couple of thousands $ and then want to fix the pictures more than the patients.

[Mary Cody]

04:51 PM on 09/16/2012

Part of the problem is that with all the lawsuits, MRIs must be taken. They are covering there decision, if it is ever questioned. Right

[Lohan7]

09:12 PM on 05/04/2012

And the tp/gop see this as a good thing. Get rid of the ACA and go back to what the gop put in place under bush - ooops, that would be nothing........

[jmdziuban1]

02:30 AM on 05/05/2012

They did give seniors the "donut hole" in prescription drug coverage.

[T Trump]

04:47 PM on 05/04/2012

Contact Governor Kitzhaber for some great idea's of how to fix health care in America.

[krocklin]

04:34 PM on 05/04/2012

Medicare and insurance fraud are rampant. Under such a basically unregulated system costs are going to continue to skyrocket.
The elimination of the private healthcare insurance companies would allow more resources for oversight and less fraud.
Currently the analogy of the banking industry is all too applicable to our current healthcare system.
Medicine for profit inevitably leads to fraud, lower quality services and increased costs despite the free market philosophy.

[Chuck The Canuck]

09:05 PM on 05/04/2012

Cut out the insurance companies completely and introduce tax funded single payer.

[krocklin]

10:03 PM on 05/04/2012

That is like calling for money and lobbyists out of politics.
It never seems to happen no matter how much sense it makes.

[Mary Cody]

04:57 PM on 09/16/2012

What you just wrote is a problem for every industry. What is regulated. Everything lhas skrocketed. With your comment the only one that would be making money is the government. Money is not a bad word. I want a very talented doctor to do my surgery and I am willing to pay the price. With Obamacare, you will not have a talented doctor. We will all become experiments. So, that too leads to fraud, lower quality services and maybe lower prices. This is one's life. Don't lower the quality of helath care by giving the reponsiblity to an uncaring government. Who, too are looking to make money. Good people exist in every field and so, too, bad people.

[krocklin]

05:48 PM on 09/16/2012

I guess you prefer uncaring private health insurance companies to uncaring Goverment?

[uniquindividual]

04:17 PM on 05/04/2012

This is new news?

[jmdziuban1]

02:31 AM on 05/05/2012

Re-affirmation of the already known.

[Timma]

02:58 PM on 05/04/2012

American exceptionalism - going stronger than ever.

[Chuck The Canuck]

09:07 PM on 05/04/2012

The only thing exceptional about most Americans is their hubris and tenuous grip on reality.

[looneydoone]

12:49 PM on 05/06/2012

I attribute "tenuous grip on reality" to their opting to be willfully ignorant

[fortressfountain]

01:50 PM on 05/04/2012

Wow, why doesnt ryan make banks compete with low interest rates and companies compete for workers by paying higher wages. Sounds good,but such systems ate rigged. Do you think the poor corporations will lower costs without whining for gov handouts? If they were serious about reform a debi card would make immediate payment cutting out the costs of processors. This is also a big problem with mortgages also. Of course they would not do this better to make people pay more for less and blame them when they cant.