The US spends the most on private health insurance of the total current health expenditures next only to South Africa. Compared to the OECD average rate of 6.3% the USA’s private health insurance rate is 35% – nearly six times more than the average. This is because unlike other countries such as France or Germany or the UK, healthcare in the US is an industry run by the private sector. As a results common worldwide traditions such as a government-run hospital in a town or a city does not exist in the country. The state runs hospitals exclusively for military veterans but only veterans are allowed to use those facilities.
The following chart shows the private health insurance as a % of total health expenditures in OECD countries:
Click to enlarge
Source: OECD via twitter
