Health Care in US more Expensive while Dying Younger

Using The Economist's "World in Figures” there is an interesting and terrible story to tell. Basically health care systems do improve the longevity of the population. This measure is the best and simplest way to judge whether a system is more or less effective, because longevity statistics don't lie. The US has the best doctors and medical facilities in the world but those apparently don't work effectively for the whole population.

"According to the Economist the total US spend on health care is 15.4% of GDP including both state and private. With that it gets 2.6 doctors per 1,000 people, 3.3 hospital beds and its people live to an average age of 78.2”.

"UK - spends 8.1% of GDP, gets 2.3 doctors, 4.2 hospital beds and live to an average age of 79.4. So for roughly half the cost their citizens overall get about the same benefit in terms of longevity of life”.

"Canada - spends 9.8% of GDP on health care, gets 2.1 doctors, 3.6 hospital beds and live until they are 80.6 yrs.”

"Now if we look at the more social model in Europe the results become even more surprising:”

"France - spends 10.5%, 3.4 docs, 7.5 beds and live until they are 80.6”

"Spain - spends 8.1%, 3.3 docs, 3.8 beds and live until they are 81”

"As a whole Europe spends 9.6% of GDP on health care, has 3.9 doctors per 1,000 people, 6.6 hospital beds and live until they are 81.15 years old.”

"The list goes on. The truth is that in many cases as is pointed out the healthcare system is better in the US than in some other countries BUT US citizens must therefore get ill more often than any other country in the West in order to achieve the truly appalling statistic that they are the 41 longest living nation on earth with France, Spain, Norway, Switzerland, Italy, Austria, Andorra, Holland, Greece and Sweden all featuring in the top 20 longest living nations and the UK and Germany at 22.”

This considerable failure of the US system shouldn’t occur. One may get a better chance of recovering from certain diseases but as a whole you will die younger in the US than in most of the other developed countries. The US has the most expensive health care system that seems not to be effective, which is very bizarre indeed.