How the U.S. spends more helping its citizens than other rich countries, but gets way less

[Kire]

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/wonkblog/wp/2015/04/09/how-the-u-s-spends-more-helping-its-citizens-than-other-rich-countries-but-gets-way-less/?tid=sm_fb

There’s a clear political rationale behind the American system of giving people tax breaks on their health care spending, rather than having the government give them health care: The public pays fewer taxes, and the government doesn’t appear to be spending money.

But the Peterson study suggests this system merely hides the true level of government spending. Tax breaks for lunches eaten on business trips are rarely given the same amount of scrutiny as the use of food stamps at the grocery store, but the ultimate cost to the government is the same.

[swilton]

1. This inefficiency

results in higher doctor/nurses salaries, pharmaceuticals and other health care costs with the net effect that only those who can afford those costs get the health care.

The high costs of health care fall disproportionately on low income groups. This is why the health indicators (infant mortality (169th to the rest of the world), maternal mortality (136th per rest of the world) - source CIA Fact Book) are so high and are some of the worst in the industrialized world. US life expectancy (79 for both sexes - 81 for women and 77 for men) ranks 42 to the rest of the world.