Some Statistics for Medical Care in the U.S.

[Guest guest]

The Dept. of Health and Human Services released the following

information. As we have a vital interest in medical care here in the

States, please take note.

14.9% of the U.S. gross national domestic product is devoted to health

care up from 13.3% in 2000.

Americans spend up to 100% more on health care per capita than is spent

in Europe and Japan. (Costs of prescription medications, surgeries, and

physician visits in Europe and Japan are a small fraction of what our

costs are here in the States even though approximately 40% of our

antibiotics are developed and manufactured in Europe and Canada).

Though they have universal health care, European nations and Japan only

allocate 10% of their GNDP for health care, although Germany and

Switzerland spend slightly more than 10%.

U.S. life expectancy is 2 ½ years less than in Western European nations

and 3 years less than Japan.

U.S. infant mortality is 6.9 deaths per 1,000 births compared to 4.4-4.6

in Italy, Germany and France, and 3.2 in Japan.

Obesity is greater in the U.S. than in any Western European nation and

Japan.

The U.S. ranks 7th of the top ten modern nations for healthcare quality

due to distribution and costs.

Hal