alt Hacker NewsAs I understand it - ~30% of US federal spending is on health care.
In the UK it's about 20%.
Yet apparently the UK is mostly nationalised under the NHS, while in the US there is huge additional spending on private insurance.
Can somebody from the US explain to me how that's the case and why American's still put up with it?
Replies
US federal budget is 23% of GDP, while UK is 44% of GDP. You can't compare fractions of the fractions directly. (Total spend is something like 11% vs 18% GDP.)
We hate it and are more and more powerless to change it every day. The parties are entrenched and swing districts are becoming increasingly rare. Those competitive districts that remain are flooded with unlimited campaign funds from big business and plutocrats, thanks to Citizens United.
Because the US buys medicine at absurd pricing. Something that should cost dollars, costs hundreds. [0]
[0] https://aspe.hhs.gov/reports/comparing-prescription-drugs