Most Expensive Health Care System

Treating and preventing illnesses and maintaining physical well-being is an important and fast-growing industry in developed nations. Nations around the world have adopted different approaches to funding and organizing their systems of health care, some using publicly funded with the public paying most of the costs.

The United States has the most expensive health care system in the world, and the health care costs continue to increase. 2004 Government figures show that health care spending reached 1.9 trillion dollars or about 16 percent of the U.S. gross domestic product (GDP). In 2003 health care costs including hospitals, doctors, nursing homes, laboratories, pharmacies, and other parts of the health care system amounted to 15.3% of the GDP.

The expensive health care is not unique to the United States, as health care costs average over 10% of GDP for most developed nations. The debate will continue about what causes the U.S. to continue to have the most expensive health care system.