The skyrocketing cost of U.S. health care: By the numbers
The fate of ObamaCare may be in doubt, but one thing's for sure: Rising health-care costs are making it harder and harder for Americans to stay insured
No matter what the Supreme Court decides regarding the constitutionality of President Obama's health-care overhaul, this much is clear: Health-care costs are rising, and will keep rising, so Americans aren't getting much bang for their health care buck. Health consulting firm Milliman Inc. expects 2012 to be the fifth year in a row that U.S. health-care costs will jump about 7 or 8 percent, and while people who pay out of pocket generally are the hardest hit, even Americans with employer-sponsored plans have increasingly seen the costs eat up their salaries. Here, a numerical guide to how expensive it is to be healthy in the U.S.:
$2.6 trillion
Annual public and private spending on health care
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
$8,402
Amount that works out to per American
17.9
Percentage of GDP the $2.6 trillion constitutes
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
$9,235
Cost, in 2002, to cover a family of four under an employer plan
$20,000
Estimated cost to cover a family of four under an employer health plan in 2012, according to Milliman
113
Percent increase in employer-sponsored premiums since 2001
$7,102
Cost, in 2010, for a typical family not enrolled in a group or employer health plan
6.6
Percentage of a household budget spent on health care in 2010
$950
Annual per capita spending on pharmaceutical expenses
78.2
Average U.S. life expectancy
$5,352
Annual per capita cost of health care in Norway, the second-most expensive nation in the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD)
$800
Annual out-of-pocket expenses per person in Norway
81
Average life expectancy in Norway
$4,478
Annual per capita cost of health care in Canada, No. 6 in the OECD
80.7
Average life expectancy in Canada
$3,978
Annual per capita cost of health care in France, No. 10 in the OECD
$290
Annual out-of-pocket expense per person in France
81.5
Average life expectancy in France
Sources: CNNMoney, National Journal, 24/7 Wall St.
Create an account with the same email registered to your subscription to unlock access.
-
Why is Tesla stumbling?
In the Spotlight More competition, confusion about the future and a giant pay package for Elon Musk
By Joel Mathis, The Week US Published
-
How Taylor Swift changed copyright negotiations in music
under the radar The success of Taylor's Version rerecordings has put new pressure on record labels
By Theara Coleman, The Week US Published
-
Job scams are increasingly common. Here's what to look out for.
The Explainer You should never pay for an application or give out your personal info before being hired
By Becca Stanek, The Week US Published
-
Arizona court reinstates 1864 abortion ban
Speed Read The law makes all abortions illegal in the state except to save the mother's life
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
Trump, billions richer, is selling Bibles
Speed Read The former president is hawking a $60 "God Bless the USA Bible"
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
The debate about Biden's age and mental fitness
In Depth Some critics argue Biden is too old to run again. Does the argument have merit?
By Grayson Quay Published
-
How would a second Trump presidency affect Britain?
Today's Big Question Re-election of Republican frontrunner could threaten UK security, warns former head of secret service
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Published
-
'Rwanda plan is less a deterrent and more a bluff'
Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
By The Week UK Published
-
Henry Kissinger dies aged 100: a complicated legacy?
Talking Point Top US diplomat and Nobel Peace Prize winner remembered as both foreign policy genius and war criminal
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Last updated
-
Trump’s rhetoric: a shift to 'straight-up Nazi talk'
Why everyone's talking about Would-be president's sinister language is backed by an incendiary policy agenda, say commentators
By The Week UK Published
-
More covfefe: is the world ready for a second Donald Trump presidency?
Today's Big Question Republican's re-election would be a 'nightmare' scenario for Europe, Ukraine and the West
By Sorcha Bradley, The Week UK Published