Because America is the 11th wealthiest country globally, it would be natural for many people to assume that the United States is also one of the healthiest countries. After all, we have access to plenty of healthy food, many people can easily afford access to gyms, and there are countless sports and hobbies that many people enjoy for both fun and exercise. And with how much people spend annually on healthcare, you’d think our citizens would exhibit quality health. However, despite all of these factors, America doesn’t even rank in the top ten healthiest countries globally. It doesn’t even rank within the top twenty. In fact, America is rated #35 out of 169 countries in terms of overall citizen health. But why?
Thankfully, our team of trusted medical experts at OptiMed Hospitalists are here to provide a rundown of the situation to help explain the current state of comparatively poor health in America.
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Why is the U.S. the 35th Healthiest Country?
According to the Bloomberg Index, this is a complex and highly layered question, and to best answer it, we need to compare the United States to the top-ranked, healthiest countries. The top ten countries included within the index are Spain, Italy, Iceland, Japan, Switzerland, Sweden, Australia, Singapore, Norway, and Israel. Each of these countries has actively embraced a wide range of critical social and economic traits that the United States has not, leading their citizens to become exponentially more healthy in general compared to Americans. Some of these essential traits include;
- Universal healthcare
- Healthier diets that include fresh ingredients and far less processed or pre-packaged food
- Lower levels of economic inequality
- Strict regulations that limit the use of opioid prescriptions
- Increased attention while driving
- Effective and severe gun control laws
Each of these factors has played a critical role in increasing the health and functioning of these ten countries compared to the United States. However, universal healthcare is often credited with being the most significant difference.
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How Much People Spend on Healthcare in the U.S.
According to data collected by The Commonwealth Fund, the United States spent approximately 16.9% of its gross domestic product (GDP) on healthcare. This is nearly two times the amount spent in the average Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) country. In comparison, the second-highest healthcare spending country (Switzerland) spent only 12.2% of their GDP on healthcare, while Australia and New Zealand (at the other end of the healthcare cost spectrum) devoted only about 9.3%, nearly half as much as the U.S.
While the percentage of different economies spent on healthcare has increased in all countries since the 1980s and has outpaced overall economic growth the world over, the United States is still the clear forerunner in healthcare spending. According to experts, this trend is only anticipated to continue, and it’s projected that the GDP dedicated to healthcare in America will reach approximately 19% by the year 2025. Despite this, the U.S. suffers the highest-burden for chronic diseases and two times higher obesity rates than the OECD average. America also showcases hospitalizations at the highest number from preventable diseases and the highest rate of avoidable deaths.
Life Expectancy in the U.S.
Despite spending exponentially more money on healthcare than any other high-income country globally, the United States features one of the lowest life expectancies of approximately 79 years. More specifically, America ranks 26th in terms of life expectancy among other OECD countries, while Japan leads all other countries with an average life expectancy of 84 years. According to research, twenty-five countries have average life expectancies of at least 80 years, and 18 of said countries have life expectancies that exceed the typical U.S life expectancy by at least three years.
However, please note that this data was recorded before the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic. Since then, overall mortality and premature death rates in the United States have increased much more significantly compared to most other countries. According to the CDC, American life expectancy has decreased to approximately 77 years during the past few years.
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Chronic Disease in the U.S.
Alongside the discrepancy between the massive amount the U.S spends on healthcare and our average life expectancy, another issue is that the United States also suffers from the highest burden of chronic diseases and obesity, which are two times higher than the average of other OECD countries. 60% of Americans live with at least one chronic health condition, while more than 25% of adults in America have been diagnosed with two or more chronic conditions, like cancer, diabetes, heart disease, asthma, or hypertension, during their lifetime. This rate is nearly two times as high as those reported in the Netherlands and the United Kingdom.
What Does the U.S. Excel in Above Everyone Else?
Despite all of the statistics noted above, it should also be stated that the U.S. significantly outperforms when it comes to preventative measures. America features one of the highest rates of breast cancer screenings in women between 50 to 69 years of age and the second-highest rate of flu vaccinations in the elderly. The United States also utilizes more of the most expensive medical technologies compared to other nations, such as MRIs, along with specialized procedures, such as hip replacements.
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Final Thoughts and Considerations
While healthcare spending in the United States is exponentially higher than other countries, it’s still ranked as one of the least healthy nations. It also features one of the lowest life spans out of the most financially successful countries globally. As a result, our team of specialized medical providers at OptiMed Hospitalists is dedicated to providing patients with engaged, trustworthy, and committed medical care that produces tangible results at reasonable costs. Please consider contacting us today and exploring our website to access a comprehensive list of our various locations and services.
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