The federal government released its latest estimates of health spending last week, and they allow for some telling comparisons. In 2008, the country spent $2.3 trillion on medical care, or 16.2 percent of gross domestic product and $7,681 per person.
Of this $2.3 trillion, the federal government spent $817 billion, while state and local governments spent $290 billion. The tax exclusion for employer-provided health insurance amounted to about $250 billion in lost federal revenue — which is, effectively, a government subsidy for health care. Add up all of these sources, and you get about $1.35 trillion of health spending done by the public sector and slightly less than $1 trillion done by the private sector.
In per person terms, government agencies spent roughly $4,500 on medical care, while the private sector spent roughly $3,000.
Here’s what’s notable about that $4,500 figure: It’s more than what a lot of other rich countries spend on health care — including both the public and the private sectors. All told, Canada, Belgium and Germany each spend about $4,000 per person on health care. Australia and Britain spend about $3,500 each. Japan spends a little less than that. ..
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