Health Care Finance

My Insight:
Health care financing is a touchy issue - for two reasons - 1. it's expensive and 2. not everyone has access to health care services.

1. Should health costs be the responsibility of public or private programs? And are we spending too much on health care? In 2001, internationally, we spent about $3,059 about 10% of the GDP.
2. Even more prevalent - only 12% of this money is being spent on low and/or middle income recipients. Low and middle income people account for 84% of the international population and 92% of the burden of disease.

From these statistics one may observe that a lot of money is being spent, and somehow is being misdirected away from 84% of the global population who could benefit from it.

Graphical Reference:In the U.S., we spend 15.2% of our GDP on health care, which is more than any other country internationally.

Unique quote:"Fixing our health care system as a whole is our primary challenge, and to make it happen you need to get engaged – to pound the pavement, get your hands dirty, endure real sacrifice, take on antiquated thinking and help lead the public debate.” Senator John Kerry.