The United States spent about $11,100 per person on health care in 2019, almost twice the $5,500 average of other developed countries, the Peter G. Peterson Foundation noted recently.
For comparison, Switzerland was the second highest-spending country with about $7,700 in health care expenses per capita.
Spending on health care is based on use (the number of services used) and price (the amount charged per service). Many analysts contend that “prices are the primary driver of the cost difference between the United States and other wealthy countries,” said the foundation, which studies fiscal challenges faced by the U.S.
“In fact, prices in the United States tend to be higher regardless of utilization rates,” said the foundation, which reported that the U.S. spends about $940 per person on administrative costs — four times more than the average of other wealthy countries and significantly more than the country spends on preventive or long-term health care.
Sign up for Daily E-news
