Dive Brief:
- The U.S. is not getting its money's worth from its healthcare spending, according to a new Commonwealth Fund report. Although Americans spent more per person than 12 comparable nations in 2013, we also achieved the lowest life expectancy.
- The study concludes U.S. healthcare spending is high due to the increased use of medical technology and high healthcare prices. Americans actually utilize healthcare providers and hospitals less often than those in all but three other countries included in the study.
- As an example, the study points toward the average, annual per-person spending in the U.S. of $9,086 with a life expectancy at 78.8 years and compares it to Switzerland, which has the next-highest spending at $6,325 per person with a life expectancy at 82.9 years.
Dive Insight:
The research highlights the position of the U.S. as a "substantial outlier" as of 2013, with healthcare spending about 50% higher than any other country. Government healthcare spending was also comparatively high despite the U.S. being the only country in the comparison that does not provide universal healthcare coverage.
“Time and again, we see evidence that the amount of money we spend on healthcare in this country is not gaining us comparable health benefits,” Commonwealth Fund President Dr. David Blumenthal said in a press statement. “We have to look at the root causes of this disconnect and invest our healthcare dollars in ways that will allow us to live longer while enjoying better health and greater productivity.”
Given the data predate major provisions of the Affordable Care Act, the authors suggest new healthcare models could impact healthcare and social services spending as organizations look more broadly at health issues.