$4.1 trillion. That’s how much the world spends on health annually, which, if you divide by an estimated 6 billion people on planet earth, works out to a bit more than $650 per person. The United States spends the most per capita on health at a little more than $6000; Burundi is the lowest at just under $3 per person.
How much does it cost to keep someone healthy? The WHO estimates that $30-50 per person would pay for a basic package of health services. A basic package of health services varies based on the system in which it is implemented, but it generally covers maternal, infant and child health services, reproductive health, communicable disease control and emergency care.
Who picks up the bill? It depends where you live. If you are lucky enough to live in a developed country, the government will typically pick up much of the bill. If, however, you live in one of the poorest countries in the world, you will most likely have to pay for most of your health expenditures out-of-pocket. The WHO writes: “In most of the world’s wealthiest countries, individuals pay little out of pocket. In Germany, for example, where the GDP is $32,860 per capita, 11.3 percent of all medical expenses nationwide are borne by households and the rest by social health insurance or by the government. In the Democratic Republic of the Congo, by contrast, where GDP per capita is only $120, about 90% of the money spent on the health system is paid directly by households to providers.”
Aside from out-of-pocket payments, health is one of the areas where most of us are willing to pool some risk with our fellow citizens in order to ensure that if we get really sick and require expensive care, the funding will be available. This can take many forms, including taxation, social health insurance, private health insurance or donations. Most countries do a mix of all of these: bottom line is, if you are a healthy person, right now you are subsidizing a sick person.
The US is the exception amongst developed countries: it is the only of these countries without universal healthcare, and the only country where less than half of health expenditures are covered by government. With the highest per capita expenditure and some of the lowest performance metrics, let’s hope that this year’s landmark legislation will improve our standing in the global rankings.
