Health and Human Rights in the United States

Some facts:

1. People in the United States must pay more for health care than in any other country in the world.   The United States spends twice as much on health care per capita ($7,129); in 2005, the national health care expenditures totaled $2 trillion (National Center for Health Statistics).

2. While Americans pay more for healthcare than anyone, the United States is the only wealthy industrial nation without a universal health care system (Institute of Medicine, National Academy of Sciences).

3. In 2006, approximately 47 million people in the United States (about 16% of the population) did not have health insurance (U.S. Census Bureau).  In Minnesota, roughly 8% of the state population does not have health insurance; nearly 75% of those are working, employed white people (MinnPost.com).

4. 75% of all health care dollars are spent on patients with one or more chronic conditions, many of which can be prevented, including diabetes, obesity, heart disease, lung disease, high blood pressure, and cancer (Health Affairs).  Most of the time people with these conditions have not seen a doctor to monitor their condition due to lack of health insurance, and often end up in emergency hospitals.

5.  From 2000 to 2006, overall inflation has increased 3.5%, wages have increased 3.8%, and health care premiums have increased 87% (Kaiser Family Foundation).

6. Roughly half of bankruptcy filings in the United States are due to medical expenses (Health Affairs Journal, 2005).

For more health facts that take away our American Dream, visit this website.