most expensive healthcare system

U.S. healthcare most expensive, not best
PARIS (UPI) -- The United States spends more on healthcare -- $7,290 per capita in 2007 -- than any other country, an international ranking found.

The fifth edition of Health at a Glance provides the latest comparable data on different aspects of the performance of health systems in Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development countries.

The more than $7,000 spent by the United States on healthcare -- 16 percent of gross domestic product -- is almost two-and-a-half times greater than the OECD average of $2,984, or an average of 8.9 percent adjusted for purchasing power parity. France follows the United States in healthcare spending at 11 percent of GDP, Switzerland at 10.8 percent and Germany 10.4 percent.

Japan has higher survival rates for people with cancer than most countries. The United States and Canada have good cancer care, screening more people than most other countries, the report said. However, the United States suffers from worse primary care and preventable hospital admissions for asthma and diabetes are twice what they are, on average, in the OECD, the report said.

Angel Gurria, secretary-general of the OCED in Paris, said the Netherlands, Italy, Switzerland and Germany provide good primary care, but no one OECD country provides high quality care in all areas.

"There are opportunities for all countries to improve the performance of their healthcare care system, and making such improvements does not necessarily require higher spending," Gurria said.

Copyright 2009 by United Press International

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