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Showing posts from January, 2014

US and Canadian public health care costs compared

Despite the lack of universal public insurance, U.S. governments actually spend much more on health care than Canadian governments.   Public sector health expenditure in the U.S.A. accounts for 8.5% of the economy, 7.9% in Canada, and 6.8% through the OECD (the club of 34 rich nations –  which, unlike the U.S.A., primarily finance health care through the public sector).   Indeed, the U.S. public sector spends more per capita on health care than any other OECD nation except Norway – $4066 per capita (in 2011).   The universal Canadian system spends $3183, while the OECD average is $2,499.   The main feature of the US system that distinguishes it from the systems in other developed countries is that it is highly privatized.   Moreover, it's not that the U.S. hasn't quite got privatization right:   basic problems remain despite multiple reforms to private health care. As the U.S.A. is the leading model of private health care provision, why would any jurisdic