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NEW YORK – Higher prices and greater use of technology appearto be the main factors driving the high rates of U.S. spending onhealthcare, rather than greater use of physician and hospitalservices, according to a new study from the Commonwealth Fund. Thestudy found the U.S. spends more on healthcare than 12 otherindustrialized countries, yet does not provide "notablysuperior" care. The U.S. spent nearly $8,000 per person in 2009 on healthcareservices, while other countries in the study spent betweenone-third (Japan and New Zealand) and two-thirds (Norway andSwitzerland) as much. While the U.S. performs well on breast andcolorectal cancer survival rates, it has among the highest rates ofpotentially preventable deaths from asthma and amputations due todiabetes, and rates that are no better than average for in-hospitaldeaths from heart attack and stroke. [See also: U.S. healthcare performance score declines ] The report, "Explaining High Health Care Spending in the United States:An International Comparison of Supply, Utilization, Prices, andQuality," presents analysis of prices and healthcare spending in 13industrialized countries. U.S. healthcare spending amounted to more than 17 percent of grossdomestic product (GDP) in 2009, compared with 12 percent or less inother study countries. Japan"s spending, which was thelowest, amounted to less than 9 percent of GDP, according to studyauthor David Squires, senior research associate at The CommonwealthFund. All of the countries in the study, except for the U.S., provideuniversal healthcare, and all struggle with rising health costs.The level of healthcare spending in the U.S., however, standsapart. If the U.S. were to spend the same share of its GDP onhealthcare as the Netherlands – the country spending thenext-largest share of GDP – the savings would have been $750billion in 2009. U.S. hospital stays ‘far more" expensive High U.S. spending on healthcare does not seem to be explained byeither greater supply or higher utilization of healthcare services.There were 2.4 physicians per 100,000 population in the U.S. in2009, fewer than in all the countries in the study except Japan. [See also: Scorecard reveals wide disparities in care across the country ] The U.S. also had the fewest doctor consultations (3.9 per capita)of any country except Sweden. Relative to the other countries inthe study, the U.S also had few hospital beds, short lengths ofstay for acute care, and few hospital discharges per 1,000population. On the other hand, U.S. hospital stays were far moreexpensive than those in other countries – more than $18,000per discharge. By comparison, the cost per discharge in Canada wasabout $13,000, while in Sweden, Australia, New Zealand, France andGermany, it was less than $10,000. "It is a common assumption that Americans get more healthcareservices than people in other countries, but in fact we do not goto the doctor or the hospital as often," said Squires."The higher prices we pay for healthcare and perhaps ourgreater use of expensive technology are the more likelyexplanations for high health spending in the U.S. Unfortunately, wedo not seem to get better quality for this higher spending." Prices for the 30 most commonly used prescription drugs were athird higher in the U.S. compared to Canada and Germany, and morethan double the amount paid for the same drugs in Australia,France, the Netherlands, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom.Magnetic imaging (MRI) and computed tomography (CT) scans were alsomore expensive in the U.S., and American physicians received thehighest fees for primary care office visits and hip replacements. Healthcare in the U.S. also seems to involve greater use ofexpensive technology than in many other countries. The U.S.performed the most MRI and CT exams among countries for which datawere available (Japan had the most MRI and CT scanners, but no datawas available on the number of exams performed there). Kneereplacements were also performed more often in the U.S. than anycountry except Germany – though hip replacements were not ascommon as in most of the other study countries. High spending in the U.S. might be explained, in part, by thenation"s high rates of obesity and the associated medicalcosts. However, at the same time, the U.S. also has a very youngpopulation and few smokers relative to the other study countries– factors that could offset higher spending linked toobesity, the report notes. Quality varies widely in U.S. High spending in the United States does not always translate intohigh-quality care. According to the report, the U.S. had thehighest survival rates in the study for breast cancer, as well asthe best survival rates, along with Norway, for colorectal cancer.However, cervical cancer survival rates in the U.S. were worse thanaverage and well below those of Norway. Compared to other countries in the study, the U.S. had high ratesof asthma-related deaths among people ages 5 to 39 and, along withGermany, very high rates of amputations resulting from diabetes.U.S. rates of in-hospital deaths after heart attack and stroke wereaverage. Japanese model Japan offers an interesting model for controlling costs, Squiressays. Although its healthcare system shares certain features withthe U.S., Japan is the lowest-spending nation of the group ($2,878per capita in 2008). Japan operates a fee-for-service system, whileoffering unrestricted access to specialists and hospitals and alarge supply of MRI and CT scanners. Rather than containing costs by restricting access, Japan insteadsets healthcare prices to keep total health spending within abudget allotted by the government. In the U.S., individual payers negotiate prices with healthcareproviders, a system that leads to complexity – and varyingprices for the same goods and services, according to the report. "The Affordable Care Act gives us the opportunity to build ahealthcare system that delivers affordable, high-quality care toall Americans," said Commonwealth Fund President Karen Davis. "To achieve that goal, the UnitedStates must use all of the tools provided by the law –including new methods of organizing, delivering, and paying forhealthcare that will help to slow the growth of healthcare costs,while improving quality.". We are high quality suppliers, our products such as Silicone Wrist Watch Manufacturer , Children Wrist Watches Manufacturer for oversee buyer. To know more, please visits Children Wrist Watches.
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