Researchers compared our statistics to those of five other major countries around the world: Great Britain, Australia, Germany, Canada, and New Zealand. Apparently, the U.S. is the only one of the bunch that doesn't provide universal health care to all citizens. In fact, there are roughly 45 million Americans who don't have health insurance at all.
And to add insult to injury, those of us who do have insurance are actually paying at least twice -- and in some cases, three times - the going rate in other countries. Here, the average yearly cost is about $6,000. In Germany and Canada the annual rate is about half of that. And New Zealand, Australia, and Great Britain all rank somewhere in the $2,000-3,000 range.
Sources:
"U.S. healthcare expensive, inefficient: report," Reuters Health news, 5/15/07 |
