eMJA: Why is health care so expensive in the United States?

Postcard from New York

Why is health care so expensive in the United States?

Jeffrey D Zajac

MJA 2009; 190 (4): 175

The United States spends over 16% of its gross domestic product (GDP) on health care, and this is predicted to rise to 20% or more over the next 10 years. Although Australia spends only 11% of its GDP on health, our costs are also rising. I do not propose to analyse here all the factors contributing to this rise, but will focus on differences between US and Australian medicine that could help us understand this situation better.

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