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A new study from The Commonwealth Fund reveals that although healthcare expenditures are greater in the United States than in 12 otherdeveloped countries, the care provided is not "notably superior." According to the study, in 2009, the United States spent almost$8,000 per person on health care services, compared with Japan andNew Zealand who spent approximately $2,666 and Norway andSwitzerland $5,333. Even though survival rates for colorectal and breast cancer in the U.S. are better, the nation has some of the highest ratesof potentially preventable deaths from asthma and amputations due to diabetes . In addition, rates for in-hospital deaths from stroke and heart attack are no better than average. Study author David Squires, senior research associate at TheCommonwealth Fund says that greater use of technology and higherprices seem to be the leading factors driving the high rates ofspending in the United States, rather than greater use of physicianand hospital services. The researchers found that in 2009, health care spending in theU.S. amounted to more than 17% of gross domestic product (GDP) vs.12% or less in other nations studied. Japan spent the lowest withless than 9% of GDP. Results from the study indicate that neither greater supply orhigher utilization of health care services were the cause of theincreased spending. In the United States in 2009, there were 2.4physicians per 100,000 population, less than in all the studycountries except Japan. In addition, the U.S. had the lowest number of doctor consultations(3.9 per capita) of any of the countries studied apart from Sweden.The U.S. also had few hospital discharges per 1,000 population, fewhospital beds as well as shorter lengths of stay for acute care. However, hospitalizations in the U.S., were considerably moreexpensive ($18,000+ per discharge) vs. $13,000 in Canada, and$10,000 in Germany, France, Sweden, Australia and New Zealand. Squires explained: "It is a common assumption that Americans get more health careservices than people in other countries, but in fact we do not goto the doctor or the hospital as often. The higher prices we pay for health care and perhaps our greateruse of expensive technology are the more likely explanations forhigh health spending in the U.S. Unfortunately, we do not seem toget better quality for this higher spending." In the U.S., prices from the 30 most commonly used prescriptiondrugs were around 33% higher than in Germany and Canada, and over50% higher than in the UK, France, the Netherlands, Australia, andNew Zealand. In addition, the researchers found that physicians in the U.Sreceived the highest fees for hip replacements and primary careoffice visits and that the cost of magnetic imaging (MRI) andcomputed tomography (CT) scans were also more expensive. The researchers also found that U.S. health care appears to involvegreater use of expensive technology than in many of the othercountries studied. Even though more MRI and CT scans were performedin the United States, Japan had the most MRI and CT scanners,although there were no data available on the number of examsconducted there. Although hip replacements were not as prevalent in the U.S. than inmost of the other study countries, the prevalence of kneereplacements were higher except in Germany. The high obesity rates in the U.S. and the associated medical cost might partiallyexplain the nations high spending. However, the United States has avery young population and few smokers relative to the othercountries studied and these factors could offset higher spendingassociated to obesity, according to the researchers. In addition, breast cancer survival rates were highest in the U.S.,as well as survival rates, along with Norway, for colorectal cancer. However, the U.S. had worse than average survival rates forcervical cancer , well below those of Norway. Although the rates of in-hospital deaths after stroke and heartattack were average in the U.S., the nation, along with Germany,had high rates of asthma-related deaths among individuals aged 5 to39 and extremely high rates of amputations resulting from diabetes. According to the researchers, all of the countries, apart from theUnited States, provide universal health care, and all struggle withincreasing health expenditures. However, the U.S. would have saved$750 billion in 2009 if they were to spend the same share of GDP onhealth care as the Netherlands. Of the study countries, Japan is the lowest spending nation ($2,878per capita in 2008), and although its health care system sharescertain features with the U.S., it operates a fee-for-servicesystem, while providing unrestricted access to specialists andhospitals as well as a large supply of CT and MRI scanners. In addition, Japan sets health care prices to keep total healthspending within a budget allotted by the government, rather thancontaining costs by restricting access. According to the study, individual payers in the U.S. negotiateprices with health care providers. This system results incomplexity as well as varying prices for the same services andgoods. Commonwealth Fund President Karen Davis, explained: "The Affordable Care Act gives us the opportunity to build a healthcare system that delivers affordable, high-quality care to allAmericans. To achieve that goal, the United States must use all ofthe tools provided by the law - including new methods oforganizing, delivering, and paying for health care that will helpto slow the growth of health care costs, while improving quality." Written By Grace Rattue Copyright: Medical News Today Not to be reproduced without permission of Medical News Today Additional References Citations. 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