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Monday, May 12, 2003

John Hopkins -- Americans Spend More But Receive Less Health Care


Newsweek -- While most industrialized countries spend between 6 percent and 10 percent of gross domestic product on health care, the United States spends 13 percent. Our annual medical bills total about $4,600 per person—more than twice the median figure for 30 industrialized nations. The amount we spend privately on insurance premiums, deductibles and out-of-pocket expenses ($2,580) is five times the median. Yet, as the Hopkins team reports in the current issue of Health Affairs, Americans receive less care by most measures. On a per capita basis, we rack up fewer physician visits than people in comparable countries, and we spend less time in the hospital.

Another interesting report from Newsweek, which if not a liberal newsmagazine at least seems to be more critical than most recently. Dean had the best health care proposal I've seen and has experience as a governor in getting it passed.

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