r(Lisq. BUSINESS
r(Lisq. BUSINESS
Why U.S. Health Care Is Obscenely
Expensive, In 12 Charts
Katy Hall & Jan Diehm: 10/03/2013
The U.S. leads the world in health care spending, but we don't live very long, and going to the doctor is
so expensive that we don't do it very often. So where is the money going?
Not toward obesity-related diseases or unnecessary tests and treatments, as the writer John
Green pointed out in a recent video explainer. From Lipitor to childbirth to colonoscopies --
everything just costs a whole lot.
As congressional Republicans continue to keep the federal government closed following misguided
attempts to defund the most significant health care reform in decades, here are some illustrations of the
wasteful spending.
The U.S. spends more on health care than
other industrialized countries.
— Pr capita spending
(Percentage of GDP)
55,099
$4,522 64.448 54,495 (11.9%)
(11 2%) (10 9%) $4,118 (11.3%) $3,800 (11 6%) (8 9%) 53,182
(10.3%) $5,669
(9.3%)
I
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A o 4
i -2
Z C>
• 0
• a; O f.
Korn! Due n fatin 2011 nt neat yen. Nit slut laud, tptuthng me/mud a.
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Santry OECD Health Data 11111
Maze of 7 $3,925
(9 5%) $5,643
(11.0%)
I
S3,405 (9 4%) $8,508
(17 7%)
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It's not all private spending. U.S. taxpayers foot much of the
bill, even though most don't get subsidized health care.
Public expenditures on health per capita
$5.000
vow
53.000
52.000
s1,
1,111,11 i q
Nan: Da It from 20I I a. man yam Netherlands pending anuresis
name ettpradmirt. New &shod mothers adede itwastftwoni.
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Health care spending has grown much faster than the rest
of the economy in recent decades.
900%
800%
700%
•••• National health expenditures
600% -- Gross domestic product
Wages
50C%
400%
300%
200%
100%
_ Percentage
increase
11:31
16%
1960 1965 1970 1975 1980 1985 1990 1995 2000 2005 2010
&neat MeKiettey.-Airanontav far the Coo at US. Health Ogre (2010. THE HUFFINGTON POST
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Despite high spending, Americans don't go to the doctor
very frequently.
United United
Japan Germany Canada Aussie, Kingdom States Mexico
6.7
7.4 5.0 4.1
9.7 Doctors consultations per capita. 2011
13.1
Now.; Dui w Irom :III 1 or nom( yen
Source OECD Heakh (Ma 2r/ I 3 2.7
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Hospital stays in the U.S. aren't long but cost more than
those in other countries.
Average length of Hospital spading III
hospital stay in days, 2011 per discharge, 2008
• .2 520.000
1/ 14)$ 518000
$51164,.033MS ..
/
512.000 4
5 $10,000
a xt .. .. 58.000
2 56,000
2 54.000
1 52,000
0
11 1
1 1 I I I 14 " 43 4.
U z 4/4 44
0
Notes: Acute ate is army( ore gourally pnorded in a botnaul Da opposed
to loan-corn cry which 41 WACT•fly 141141440i in a annum brenO. Dau I. from
2O and XII or nem*, wit
$awrnc OECD Health Dna 20I0. OECD Health On 2015. Congromortal
R.-watch Senior. The Commornmulth Fund
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Commonly prescribed drugs are very expensive in the U.S.
Cyrabake coats 2012 Lipitor owes 2012
5200 5160
5176
Soort0 1/14e1M/Mag Federionn of }fetid* Plow. 2012 548 543
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So it's not surprising how much the average
American's prescriptions cost.
Pntstripoon spending per capita. 2011
Mexico Norway 5503
Australia 5556
Japan 5692 $947
Utited
States
Nous Numbers from Moja, and Nom" annul ht *errata and inAtodt
mobol noo4lonbloi. Dna it from 2011 or swing pm.
Sonar: OECD Health Dm 2011
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Surgery is also pricey.
United
States
Australia
South
Africa
United
Kingdom
Argentina 525,637
$22,421
S13,466
514,117
57,833
S8,882
$3,192 543.730
537.044
Average cost, including
hospital and physician
expenses
IS Bypass Legacy
Knee replacement 573,420
0 510,000 520,000 530.000 INXCCO 550,000 850,080 SNOOD $801203
Scene Imeniatioisal Federattais a( Health Ph... Who lilt Ill i i 11•:6,117N l'OST
And hospital visits for chronic conditions are common.
Congestive heart failure
Asthma
120
J18
if,
Diabetes acute complications
Si
32 146 441
Hospital admissions per 100,000
people age 15 and older, 2007
'1/4.384ed Stales
II Canada
United Kingdom
Noon. United Siam don am ltd, day taus.
Dna n Gum 2a17 or nntruyr.u.
Sauer: OECD tiralih Ca' tji.utin Indireitri Diu hi
The Fund
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Despite high rates of hospitalization for chronic conditions,
outcomes in the U.S. aren't good.
Asthma mortality among ages 5 Diabetes lower extremity amputations
to 39 per 100,000 population per 100.000 population
0.13 Austraha 11 0
0 17 Canada 9 5
008 Denmark 18'
France
0 1 7 Germany
'3 09 Nethedands 12.0
043 New Zealand 7.0
0 27 Norway 9.9
0.40 C.27 United Kingdom Switzerland 7.4
4.8
United States 32.9
Nora: Palm we wanandool. Drs n Iran miens ,vm.
&Hann: OECD I tealth Data 1OI I. The Commonwealth Fond 33 7
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Americans don't live longer than people in countries
that spend much less on health care.
510.000
59000
58.000
ul • 57.000
.5
56.CC0
55.000
I 54.000
1 53.000
p. 52.030
rs st,000
0
73 Hungary
•
Mexico
• •
Turkey
74 75 76 77 78 79 80 81 82 83 OECD AVERAGE
United States
•
Svn tred and
• •
Norway
Denmark Canada r9. • • Fiance n
United Kingdom • 0
• >
• A New Zealand P 7,
• • 0
Poland Korea Israel m
•
Average life expectancy at birth
Note.: Draw form 2011 or newat yew. New Zealand numben
',dude revrunwno. Nur A OECD comma art mkuded.
Source: OECD I leahh Thu LirrJ
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Health care spending is projected to nearly double
in the next decade.
In billions
56,000
55,000
54,000
re eic et S5,008.80O
es•
53.000 r•• ee "1" ec(Ev •••• okalcr
52.000
SZ163.30
S1,000
0
2006 2008 2010 2012 2014 2016 2018 2020 2022
Noun The hnith spending projectionn weft based on the Nationd Health
Expenditures released an January 2013. The penicalms include impacts front
the Affordable Cart Aa. Numbers may not add to totals because of rounding.
Source: Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. Office of the Actuary
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Infogrophics by Jon Diehm for The Huffington Post.
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📷 Images in this document (7 detected; 6 largest described)
AI-generated factual descriptions of embedded images (llava:13b). These are searchable across the corpus.
[Image 1] The image is a scanned document, specifically a page from a publication or article. The text on the page discusses the issue of healthcare costs in the United States, stating that U.S. healthcare is "obscenely expensive" compared to other industrialized countries. The document includes a graph with a line chart that shows the U.S. spending more on healthcare than other countries. The title of the
[Image 2] The image shows a page from a document or report, which includes a graph and some text. The graph is a line chart with two lines, one in black and one in blue, representing two different data sets over time. The text above the graph reads, "It's not all private spending. U.S. taxpayers pay for most of the bill through Medicare and Medicaid." Below the graph, there is a statement that says, "Health
[Image 3] The image is a photograph of a printed document, specifically a page from a newspaper or magazine. The document contains text and a graph. The text discusses the high rates of hospitalization for chronic conditions in the United States compared to other countries. It mentions that the U.S. has the highest rate of hospitalization for chronic conditions, which is 2.5 times higher than the average of
[Image 4] The image shows a page from a document, which appears to be a newspaper or magazine article. The page contains text and a graph. The text discusses healthcare spending in the United States, with a focus on the high cost of medical care. It mentions that the U.S. spends more on healthcare than any other country, and that this spending is often driven by high doctor fees. The graph on the page compa
[Image 5] The image is a black and white document, likely a report or a presentation slide. It contains two sections with text and graphs. The top section has a heading "SURGERY IS THE MOST EXPENSIVE" followed by a bar graph showing the cost of different medical procedures, with surgery being the most expensive. The bottom section has a heading "AND HOSPITAL VISITS FOR CHRONIC CONDITIONS ARE COMMON" and inc
[Image 6] The image shows a page from a document, which appears to be a newspaper or magazine article. The page contains text and two bar graphs. The text discusses the cost of prescription drugs in the United States, stating that the cost of prescription drugs is very expensive in the U.S. compared to other countries. The bar graphs illustrate the cost of prescription drugs in various countries, with the U