The U.S. health system is the costliest of all Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development nations, and does not deliver the best care, according to a new report by the OECD.
Key findings from the report:
- Americans pay far more than any other OECD nation for health care, yet they have among the lowest life expectancy of these nations.
- Americans also spend more tax dollars on health care than other industrialized nations, despite the fact that most of the citizens use private health insurance rather than public.
- The U.S. did rank well for survival and screening rates for both cervical cancer and colon cancer.
- Americans have fewer doctors and hospital beds, make fewer doctor visits, go to the hospital less often and stay for shorter lengths of time than about three-quarters of the other OECD countries.
- Pharmaceuticals cost significantly more in the U.S. than their counterparts in other OECD nations.