Healthcare has always been a big issue for Americans. A recent study shows the US is spending too much on healthcare. The World Bank estimated that the United States spends about 17.1% of its total GDP on health care - a percentage which is higher than any other country.
Keeping American Kids Healthy Is Costing Too Much
According to US News, there is an increase in the cost to keep American kids healthy. Health care spending increased to nearly $150 billion in 1996 to more than $233 billion in 2013 for 19-years old and below. The largest share is accounted for by newborn routine care, followed by attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and routine dental care.
Study lead researcher, Joseph Dieleman, said: "We see in this research that spending on children grew slower between 1996 and 2013 than spending on adults. In per capita terms, there is much less spending on children than adults." In 2015, about $3.2 trillion was spent on healthcare, Washington Post reported. Insurers are spending money on 155 diseases, patient age and category -- such as pharmaceuticals or hospitalizations.
Diabetes Is The Most Expensive Disease Of 2013
The study, which was published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, shows that the three most expensive diseases for 2013 are: diabetes ($101 billion), the most common form of heart disease ($88 billion) and back and neck pain ($88 billion).
Experts advised that in order to see whether these increases are cost effective, policymakers should pinpoint areas where costs are increasing. What's surprising is that compared to other countries, the US has a relatively low life expectancy, with a high infant mortality rate, plus a high percentage of adults with multiple chronic health issues, and extremely high levels of obesity. In 2020, it is predicted that one-fifth of the country's budget would go to healthcare.
