US healthcare still stupidly expensive, with pathetic outcomes, study finds
Summary
A 2024 report from The Commonwealth Fund compares healthcare in 20 countries and finds the US spends much more money but gets worse health results. The US has high costs, low life expectancy, many avoidable deaths, and lacks universal health coverage compared to similar countries.Key Facts
- The US spends 18% of its economy on healthcare, nearly twice the average of 9.3% in the other 19 countries.
- US life expectancy is 79 years, below the average of 81.2 years, with only Mexico and Turkey lower.
- The US has the second-highest rate of avoidable deaths and premature deaths among the countries studied.
- The US has fewer primary care doctors (0.3 per 1,000 people) than any other country in the study; the average is 1.1.
- Many Americans skip medications, tests, or treatments because they cannot afford them.
- Maternal death in the US is nearly 19 deaths per 100,000 live births, with Black women experiencing a much higher rate of 50 deaths per 100,000.
- Suicide rates in the US are high and increasing, especially in rural areas where access to healthcare is limited.
- Unlike all other high-income countries studied except Mexico, the US does not have universal health coverage.
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