Key Statistics in
US Healthcare Today
Soraya Ghebleh
The United States is the
only wealthy, industrialized
nation that does not have a
universal health care system.
Sour
ce: I
nstit
ute
of M
edic
ine
Health care expenditures
in the United States were
nearly $2.6 trillion in 2010,
an average of $8,402 per
person.
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ce: C
ente
rs fo
r M
edic
are
&
Med
icai
d S
ervi
ces
75% of all health care dollars are spent on
patients with one or more
chronic conditions, many of
which can be prevented,
including diabetes, obesity, heart disease, lung
disease, high blood pressure, and cancer.
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ce: H
ealth
Aff
airs
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ce: C
DC
, NC
HS
Dat
a Br
ief,
Num
ber
23,
Nov
emb
er 2
009
In 2005, the United States
ranked 30th in infant mortality. Singapore has
the lowest rate with 2.1
deaths per 1000 live births,
while the United States has
a rate of 6.9 deaths per
1000 live births. Infant mortality is considered an
important indicator of the
health of a nation.
Nearly two-thirds, or 62%,
of all bankruptcy filings in
the United States in 2007
were due to illness or medical bills.
Sour
ce: A
mer
ican
Jour
nal o
f M
edic
ine,
June
200
9
The primary reason given
for lack of health insurance
coverage in 2005 was cost
(more than 50%), lost job
or a change in employment
(24%), Medicaid benefits
stopped (10%), ineligibility for family
insurance coverage due to
age or leaving school (8%). So
urce
: Nat
iona
l Cen
ter
for
Hea
lth S
tatis
tics
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ce: K
aise
r Fa
mily
Fou
ndat
ion,
M
ay 2
012
Half of health care spending is used to treat
just 5% of the population.
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ce: K
aise
r Fa
mily
Fo
und
atio
n, M
ay 2
012
The share of the economy
devoted to health care has
increased from 7.2% in
1970 to 17.9% in 2009 and
2010.
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ce: K
aise
r Fa
mily
Fo
und
atio
n, M
ay 2
012
The U.S. spends substantially more on
health care than other
developed countries. As of
2009, health spending in
the U.S. was about 90%
higher than in many other
industrialized countries.
The most likely causes are
higher prices, more readily
accessible technology, and
greater obesity.
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ce: C
IA F
actb
ook
(201
1)
Life expectancy at birth in
the United States is an estimated 78.49 years,
which ranks 50th in highest
total life expectancy compared to other
countries.
Sour
ce: H
arva
rd M
edic
al S
choo
l
Stud
y, A
mer
ican
Jour
nal o
f Pub
lic
Hea
lth, D
ecem
ber
200
9
Lack of health insurance is
associated with as many as
44,789 deaths per year in
the United States.