How Americans can get a better return on their health care investments
"Americans deserve better health, particularly given the amount of money we spend on health care"
Each year, the U.S. spends nearly $9,000 for the health of every American -- far more than what the governments of other countries spend on the health of their citizens – yet life expectancy and health outcomes are generally worse for Americans than for citizens of other developed nations in North America and Europe.
Disparities in health outcomes also occur among populations and geographic areas within the U.S., note Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Director Tom Frieden, M.D., M.P.H. and CDC Associate Director for Science Harold Jaffe, M.D. Drs. Frieden and Jaffe are co-authors of a commentary article capping a special recent issue of The Lancet -- The Health of Americans -- featuring articles by CDC scientists.