What are the costs of healthcare administration in the United States and Canada?

Asked by: Prof. Vivien Kassulke  |  Last update: August 26, 2023
Score: 4.4/5 (17 votes)

Results: U.S. insurers and providers spent $812 billion on administration, amounting to $2497 per capita (34.2% of national health expenditures) versus $551 per capita (17.0%) in Canada: $844 versus $146 on insurers' overhead; $933 versus $196 for hospital administration; $255 versus $123 for nursing home, home care, ...

How much does the healthcare administration cost in the United States and Canada?

The average U.S. hospital devoted 24.3 percent of spending to administration. Hospital administration consumed $87.6 billion, or $315 per capita (Table 1). In Canada, hospital administration cost $3.1 billion — 12.9 percent of hospital spending, or $103 per capita.

How much does health care administrative cost in the US?

Research indicates that the US spends more on health care administration than comparable nations. One estimate from the Peterson Foundation, based on 2021 data from the OECD, finds that the US spends $1,055 per capita on administrative costs—by far the highest amount on a list of twelve OECD nations plus the US.

How much does the US spend on healthcare administrative costs compared to other countries?

In fact, the United States spends over $900 per person on administrative costs — four times more than the average of other wealthy countries and about the same as we spend on preventive or long-term healthcare.

How much does the healthcare system cost in Canada?

Canada is among the highest spenders in the OECD

Canada's per capita spending on health care was among the highest internationally, at CA$7,507 — less than in Germany (CA$8,938) and the Netherlands (CA$7,973), and more than in Sweden (CA$7,416) and Australia (CA$7,248).

How Administrative Costs Drive Healthcare Costs

16 related questions found

Why is healthcare cheaper in Canada than us?

In Canada, the health care system is funded by income, sales and corporate taxes that, combined, are much lower than what Americans pay in premiums. In the United States, under Obamacare, for thousands of Americans, it's pay or die – if you can't pay, you die.

Does Canada spend more on healthcare than the United States?

The United States spends much more money on healthcare than Canada, on both a per-capita basis and as a percentage of GDP.

Which country spends the most in administrative healthcare costs?

In 2020, the United States had the highest health administrative costs per capita compared to other wealthy countries.

Why does the US spend so much on healthcare administration?

There are many factors that contribute to the high cost of healthcare in the country. These include wasteful systems, rising drug costs, medical professional salaries, profit-driven healthcare centers, the type of medical practices, and health-related pricing.

Is the US healthcare system the most expensive in the world?

As our chart illustrates, U.S. per-capita healthcare spending (including public and private as well as compulsory and voluntary spending) is higher than anywhere else in the world, with second-placed Germany trailing quite far behind. On average, healthcare costs in the U.S. amounted up to $12,318 per person in 2021.

How much does the US spend per capita on healthcare vs Canada?

In 2017, per capita health care spending in the U.S. stood at 10,209 U.S. dollars. That was more than twice as much as per capita spending in Canada.

Who pays the cost of healthcare in the US?

Federal taxes fund public insurance programs, such as Medicare, Medicaid, CHIP, and military health insurance programs (Veteran's Health Administration, TRICARE).

What are the main drivers of health care expenses in the United States?

Increased health care use and intensity of services have been the key drivers of health care spending growth as the U.S. population continues to age, with hospital price growth averaging just 2% annually from 2010 to the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a report released today by the AHA.

How much would it cost to have free healthcare in the US?

For example, economist Kenneth Thorpe estimated that single-payer health care would cost the federal government $24.7 trillion through 2026, excluding the costs associated with long-term care benefits (likely about $3 trillion).

Where does the US rank in healthcare cost?

The United States ranks last overall, despite spending far more of its gross domestic product on health care.

How much does the US spend on personal healthcare?

U.S. health care spending grew 2.7 percent in 2021, reaching $4.3 trillion or $12,914 per person.

Why doesn't the US pay for healthcare?

Its culture is unusually individualistic, favoring personal over government responsibility; lobbyists are particularly active, spending billions to ensure that private insurers maintain their status in the health system; and our institutions are designed in a manner that limits major social policy changes from ...

What are overhead costs in healthcare?

Overhead costs are expenses that are not directly attributable to a patient's medical care. Among other things, they can include governance and documentation, billing, or supplies.

What country spends the least on healthcare?

Somalia spends the least, only $33 per person per year for health. That's a really, really small number. And those resources don't get equitably distributed across the country. If the country averages $33 a year, you know there are many people that get even less, if not zero in health spending.

Which country is best for healthcare administration?

According to Bloomberg, Singapore has the most efficient healthcare system in the entire world. The Singapore University of Social Services provides a six-month course for healthcare administrators. This course focuses on healthcare financing, the structure of the health system, and an overview of hospital operations.

Who has the highest healthcare costs in the world?

Health Expenditure in the U.S.

The United States is the highest spending country worldwide when it comes to health care.

What is the biggest country with free healthcare?

All but 43 countries in the world have free healthcare or access to universal healthcare for at least 90% of their citizens according to Hudson's Global Residence Index. However, Brazil is the only country in the world that offers free healthcare for all its citizens.

What are the pros and cons of the Canada's healthcare system?

The Canadian healthcare system has many benefits including the following:
  • Access to universal healthcare coverage.
  • Reduces out-of-pocket expenses.
  • Promotes Social Equity.
  • Long Wait Time For Medical Procedures.
  • Shortage of Healthcare Providers.
  • Lack of investment in cutting-edge medical technology and treatments.

Why is healthcare cheap in Canada?

Public healthcare is free because patients are not required to pay any fees to receive medical attention at a healthcare facility. However, public health care in Canada is funded by a tax paid by Canadian citizens and permanent residents.

Why healthcare costs are so much greater in the US than in other countries?

Patients in the U.S. have shorter average hospitals stays and fewer physician visits per capita, while many hospital procedures have been shown to have higher prices in the U.S. Similarly, many prescription drugs cost more in the U.S. than the same drugs do in other comparable nations.