US health care remains expensive, with tragic outcomes, study finds

A recent analysis comparing health care systems in 20 countries also finds the US system to be underperforming, described as a “chronic failure” due to high costs, poor health outcomes, and premature deaths.

“Americans pay more for health care, receive less, and remain more vulnerable to illness, debt, and insecurity than their peers,” the report concludes.

Report comes from The Commonwealth Fund, a private foundation focused on the performance of the health sector, which periodically conducts comparative evaluations. The new report is based on data from 2024 and compares the US to 19 countries, including many in Europe, as well as Australia, Canada, Chile, Israel, Japan, Korea, Mexico, New Zealand, Turkey, and the United Kingdom.

As has been the case, the US spends more on healthcare than any other 19 countries. In 2024, the US spent 18 percent of its gross domestic product on healthcare, almost twice the rate of all other countries, which was 9.3 percent. The second largest spender after the US was Germany, with 12.3 percent.

At a glance, the US spends more on health care per capita than other countries and spends more on prescription drugs. Americans are more likely to skip medication, treatment, testing, and counseling because of money.

Life expectancy in the US at birth was the third lowest, at 79 years, while the average was 81.2 years. Only Turkey and Mexico had a lower life expectancy, which was 77.3 and 75.5, respectively. The highest life expectancy was in Spain (84 years), Japan (84.1 years), and Switzerland (84.3 years).

Specially bad

The US had the second highest preventable rate – deaths caused by things that could have been prevented with special care or treated with timely medical treatment. Only Mexico had a higher death toll. Similarly, the US also had the second highest rate of life expectancy, a measure used to estimate premature death. Again, only Mexico had a higher rate.