Report: US Gets Less Health for More $$$

If the global economy were a 100-yard dash, the US would start 23 yards behind its competitors because its health care costs too much—about $2.4 trillion a year—and delivers too little, says a report out today. The authors and leading CEOs say the US funnels away resources that could be invested elsewhere in the economy, but fails to deliver a healthier work force.

Other countries spend less on health care and their workers are relatively healthier, the report found by comparing statistics on life expectancy, death rates, cholesterol readings, and blood pressures. The health measures were factored together with costs into a 100-point "value" scale. The United States is 23 points behind five leading economic competitors: Canada, Japan, Germany, the UK and France.  (More health care costs stories.)