How do the use and price of healthcare in the U. S How do the use and price of healthcare in the U.S. compare to other countries?

The U.S. has fewer physician consultations per capita than most comparable countries Doctors Consultations, per capita, in all settings, 2010 Along with Switzerland, the U.S. has the fewest physician consultations per capita among higher-income OECD countries. Consistent with this lower physician use, the U.S. also has fewer physicians per capita (2.5 per 1,000) and about one in every ten adults (11%) report that they have either delayed or did not receive medical care due to cost in 2013. Source: OECD (2013), "OECD Health Data: Health care utilisation", OECD Health Statistics (database). doi: 10.1787/health-data-en (Accessed on October 29, 2014). Notes: In cases where 2011 data were unavailable, data from the countries' last available year are shown.

The U.S. consistently has had fewer physician consultations per capita than comparable countries Doctors Consultations, per capita, in all settings, 1995 - 2010 Comparable country average United States Compared to comparable countries, the U.S. had roughly half as many physician consultations per capita in 1995. This gap has remained generally consistent over time, even as use has grown in the U.S. and other countries. Source: OECD (2013), "OECD Health Data: Health care utilisation", OECD Health Statistics (database). doi: 10.1787/health-data-en (Accessed on October 29, 2014). Notes: In cases where 2010 data were unavailable, data from the countries' last available year are shown.

Patients in the U.S. have much shorter average hospital stays than patients in comparable countries Inpatient care average length of stay, all hospitals (2011) U.S. patients on average experience shorter hospital stays than in other OECD comparable countries. Source: OECD (2013), "OECD Health Data: Health care utilisation", OECD Health Statistics (database). doi: 10.1787/health-data-en (Accessed on December 16, 2014). Notes: In cases where 2011 data were unavailable, data from the countries' last available year are shown.

Overtime, the U.S. has had much shorter average hospital stays than patients in comparable countries Inpatient care average length of stay, all hospitals (2011) Comparable country average United States The average length of hospital stays has steadily decreased over time due to changes in medical guidelines and practices, improved technology, as well as shifts in hospital reimbursement and financial constraints. Such decreases have been sharper in comparable countries than in the U.S. since 1994. Source: OECD (2013), "OECD Health Data: Health care utilisation", OECD Health Statistics (database). doi: 10.1787/health-data-en (Accessed on December 16, 2014). Notes: In cases where 2010 data were unavailable, data from the countries' last available year are shown.

The U.S. performs fewer angioplasty and more coronary bypass surgeries than most comparable countries Number of Transluminal coronary angioplasties performed per 100,000 population (2010) Number of Coronary artery bypass grafts performed per 100,000 population (2009) The U.S. performs fewer coronary angioplasty surgeries and more coronary bypass surgeries than comparable OECD countries. Both procedures are used to treat heart disease, but bypass surgery is generally recommended for patients with the most severe disease. Angioplasties are a less invasive way to combat heart disease and can be used during earlier stages of disease and during a heart attack to reduce and/or eliminate damage to the heart. The U.S. has a higher mortality rate when compared to comparable countries, but the U.S. and other countries have made dramatic progress in lowering mortality from diseases of the circulatory system. In the U.S., the mortality rate has fallen from 629 deaths per 100,000 population in 1980 to 261 in 2010. Source: OECD (2013), "OECD Health Data: Health care utilisation", OECD Health Statistics (database). doi: 10.1787/health-data-en (Accessed on October 29, 2014). Notes: In cases where 2010 or 2009 data were unavailable, data from the countries' last available year are shown.

The number of angioplasties performed in the U.S. is declining Number of Transluminal coronary angioplasties performed per 100,000 population Comparable country average United States The number of angioplasties performed in the U.S. is declining. Emergency angioplasty can be used to stop heart attacks before they cause damage to the heart. Angioplasties can also be used to reduce deaths, heart attacks or strokes. Studies have shown that when angioplasties are used preventatively there is no significant difference in deaths, heart attacks, and strokes than when medication is used in its place. Some physicians may choose to treat patients with medication instead of surgery which may be part of the reason for the decline of angioplasties performed in the U.S. Source: OECD (2013), "OECD Health Data: Health care utilisation", OECD Health Statistics (database). doi: 10.1787/health-data-en (Accessed on October 29, 2014). Notes: In cases where 2010 data were unavailable, data from the countries' last available year are shown.

The number of coronary bypass surgeries performed in the U. S The number of coronary bypass surgeries performed in the U.S. is declining Number of Coronary artery bypass grafts performed per 100,000 population United States The number of coronary bypass surgeries in the U.S. has declined from 106 per 100,000 population to 79 per 100,000 population in less than a decade. While the OECD comparable country average is still lower than the U.S., there is progress. Comparable country average Source: OECD (2013), "OECD Health Data: Health care utilisation", OECD Health Statistics (database). doi: 10.1787/health-data-en (Accessed on October 29, 2014). Notes: In cases where 2010 data were unavailable, data from the countries' last available year are shown.

The average price of an angioplasty or bypass in the U. S The average price of an angioplasty or bypass in the U.S. is higher than in other comparable countries Average price of an Angioplasty (2013) Average price of Coronary bypass surgery (2013) The U.S. performs fewer angioplasties and more coronary bypass surgeries than comparable countries, but for both procedures prices are substantially higher than in other countries where data are available. According to the International Federation of Health Plans, the national 95th percentile average for an angioplasty in the US is $61,184. The average price per coronary bypass surgery in the U.S is 2.4 times higher than in other countries where data are available. Source: International Federation of Health Plans (2013), “2013 Comparative Price Report, Variation in Medical and Hospital Prices by Country”

The U.S. performs more caesarean sections than most comparably wealthy countries Number of caesarean sections performed per 100,000 female population (2012) The U.S. performs about 1.5 times more Caesarean sections than comparable OECD countries. Source: OECD (2013), "OECD Health Data: Health care utilisation", OECD Health Statistics (database). doi: 10.1787/health-data-en (Accessed on October 29, 2014). Notes: In cases where 2012 data were unavailable, data from the countries' last available year are shown.

The average price of a caesarean section in the U. S The average price of a caesarean section in the U.S. is more than the price of a normal delivery Average price of a caesarean section (2013) Average price of normal delivery (2013) The average cost per Caesarean section in the U.S. is 1.7 times higher than in comparable countries where data are available. Normal delivery in the U.S. averaged $10,002 in 2013. Source: International Federation of Health Plans (2013), “2013 Comparative Price Report, Variation in Medical and Hospital Prices by Country”

U.S. leads comparable OECD countries in MRI availability and use Number of MRI units available per million population (2012) Number of MRI exams performed per 1,000 population (2013) The U.S. has both the largest number of MRI units available per million population and the highest number of MRI exams performed per 1,000 population among comparable countries with data available. This correlation is not necessarily found in other comparably wealthy OECD countries. For example, France has just 9 MRI units available per million population but the second largest volume of MRI exams performed. Medical practice patterns or cultural trends driving demand may be contributing to the utilization of medical technology. Sources: OECD (2013), "OECD Health Data: Health care resources", OECD Health Statistics (database). doi: 10.1787/health-data-en (Accessed on September 10, 2014). Notes: In cases where 2011 data were unavailable, data from the countries' last available year are shown. Some countries, such as Japan, are omitted because data are not available for both indicators.

The average price of an MRI in the U. S The average price of an MRI in the U.S. is significantly higher than in other comparable countries Average price of an MRI (2013) In 2013, the U.S. performed 107 MRI exams per 1,000 population. The average price per MRI exam in the U.S is 3.6 times higher than the comparable country average (though most countries do not have data available). According to the International Federation of Health Plans, the national 25th percentile average price in the US, $532, is still higher than the country average for countries where data are available and the national 95th percentile average in the US is $2,929. Source: International Federation of Health Plans (2013), “2013 Comparative Price Report, Variation in Medical and Hospital Prices by Country”