Introduction
Do you know: what country spends the most on healthcare? People live longer than ever in the richest parts of the world. For example, the top 35 OECD countries today have an average life expectancy of more than 80 years. Many affluent nations have universal healthcare insurance that shields citizens from sickness costs, yet many people worldwide lack access to even the most basic forms of healthcare.
According to data from the World Health Organization, 800 million individuals are required to spend at least 10% of their income on healthcare. That implies that some families are compelled to choose between paying for healthcare expenses and other essentials like food and education. Higher healthcare costs are associated with longer life spans. According to the OECD's Health At A Glance report, life expectancy is a crucial statistic for determining a population's general health. In general, a nation's life expectancy increases with the amount of money invested per person in healthcare expenses.
What's The Impact On Health Care When People Pay Out Of Pocket?
If medical expenses are paid for out of pocket, the most vulnerable patients may decide not to seek care or may do so but end up in poverty as a result. Although it's a frequent issue in developing countries, the US stands out among developed nations for having excessive medical costs that trap many people in poverty.
Do Health Measures Improve As Medical Spending Increases?
Yes, but it isn't easy to demonstrate that spending on health improves health outcomes. It is far simpler to demonstrate that higher spending results in more patients receiving health insurance and more services, which improves health. Health outcomes improve as health spending does. There are numerous exceptions, though.
Australia
Australia's federal and territorial governments are jointly responsible for paying for the nation's healthcare system. The Department of Health handles the nation's Medicare program, a type of national health insurance. Everyone who lives in Australia, including foreign visitors, has access to a range of free or inexpensive services, including eye care, diagnostic tests, and, in some cases, pediatric dental treatment. 6.4 percent of the country's GDP, or $3,109 per person, is spent on health care. In Australia, a person can expect to live for about 82.5 years on average.
United Kingdom
The public health system in the UK is called the National Health Service (NHS). However, it has come to light that it has been in a crisis for a while now due to overload, a lack of funds, and a staffing shortfall. It is a global framework. No matter if they lack UK citizenship or haven't been able to pay all of their taxes, the NHS guarantees that all inhabitants will receive health treatment. The average cost of healthcare per person in the country is $3,341, or 7.8% of GDP. In the UK, 81 years old is the average person's age.
Canada
In Canada, everyone who is a citizen or a permanent resident is entitled to health insurance. The general public pays for the system. Under the Canada Health Act, territories and provinces must provide access to healthcare services to receive funding from the federal government for health-related matters. $7.4% of the country's GDP, or $3382 per person, is spent on health care. In Canada, a person's life expectancy is approximately 82.3 years.
Switzerland
Switzerland spends $5,344 per person, or 11.6 percent of its GDP, on health care, which is the third-highest sum in the world. One of the most privately run healthcare systems in Switzerland, where the patient bears 30.9% of expenses. The figure is $1,650 per person due to the richness of the nation, which is more than twice the average of other less developed nations outside of the US. Spending on healthcare as a whole is rising by +2.8% annually. Switzerland has a life expectancy of about 82.3 years.
Netherlands
The cost of healthcare per person per year in the Netherlands is $4,914. Dutch health care spending is the second-highest health-related expenditure of any OECD country other than the US, which accounts for about 12 percent of the nation's GDP. The highest rate of any OECD country, the overall cost of healthcare climbed by 16.4% between 2009 and 2008. The biggest yearly growth rate, or +16.4 percent, is shown in overall health care costs. Despite this, out-of-pocket spending as a whole per person is only $227, ranking fourth lowest in the OECD. The Netherlands has an 80.6-year life expectancy on average.
Conclusion
To determine which nations spend the most on public health care, we examined data from the OECD on health expenditures. The most recent year for which data is available is 2017, which is used to calculate expenses. The picked nations spent more than $3,000 per person on healthcare in 2017. We obtained information about their health systems from the Commonwealth Fund and official sources within the country. The OECD was also used to calculate the number of doctors per person and the amount of money spent annually on public health as a percentage of the nation's GD
