# U.S. Government Spent More on Health Care in 2022 Than Six Countries With Universal Health Care Combined  ## Metadata - Author:: [[Annalisa Merelli]] - Full Title:: U.S. Government Spent More on Health Care in 2022 Than Six Countries With Universal Health Care Combined - Category: #articles - URL: https://www.statnews.com/2023/12/19/us-healthcare-costs-government-covers-41-percent-of-total/ ## Highlights > merican taxpayers footed the bill for at least $1.8 trillion in federal and state health care expenditures in 2022 — about 41% of the nearly $4.5 trillion in both public and private health care spending the U.S. recorded last year, according to the annual report [released last week](https://www.cms.gov/data-research/statistics-trends-and-reports/national-health-expenditure-data/nhe-fact-sheet) by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. ([View Highlight](https://read.readwise.io/read/01hjshfhkpzz2cnhytaw9fvc4d)) > On top of that $1.8 trillion, third-party programs, which are often government-funded, and public health programs accounted for another $600 billion in spending ([View Highlight](https://read.readwise.io/read/01hjshfsnctkxegmtehwhtq1gt)) > This means the U.S. government spent more on health care last year than the governments of Germany, the U.K., Italy, Spain, Austria, and France combined [spent to provide](https://data.oecd.org/healthres/health-spending.htm) universal health care coverage to the whole of their population (335 million in total), which is comparable in size to the U.S. population of [331 million](https://www.census.gov/library/stories/2021/08/united-states-adult-population-grew-faster-than-nations-total-population-from-2010-to-2020.html#:~:text=In%202020%2C%20the%20U.S.%20Census,from%20234.6%20million%20in%202010.). ([View Highlight](https://read.readwise.io/read/01hjshg2bjz515k8wj15dhv6tk)) > Between direct public spending and compulsory, tax-driven insurance programs, Germany spent about $380 billion in health care in 2022; France spent around $300 billion, and so did the U.K.; Italy, $147 billion; Spain, $105 billion; and Austria, $43 billion. The total, $1.2 trillion, is about two-thirds of what the U.S. government spent without offering all of its citizens the option of forgoing private insurance. ([View Highlight](https://read.readwise.io/read/01hjshghnda4rnkeqvgefv97ef)) > This isn’t an aberration. The fact that, for many years, more taxpayer dollars have gone to health care in the U.S. than in countries where the health system is actually meant to be taxpayer-funded is central to the argument made by economists Amy Finkelstein and Liran Einav in their recent book, “[We’ve Got You Covered: Rebooting American Health Care](https://www.statnews.com/2023/10/23/universal-health-care-amy-finkelstein/).” ([View Highlight](https://read.readwise.io/read/01hjshhbchz53kf8fy4ftnfvc5)) > The U.S. would not need to raise taxes in order to provide basic universal coverage, since it’s already responsible for picking up a relative majority of the expenses. ([View Highlight](https://read.readwise.io/read/01hjshj8bfv6qd0md679mq11zj)) > Offering universal coverage would cut health care costs for individuals too, according to Finkelstein and Einav. That’s because people would have the choice not to purchase additional private health insurance, thereby avoiding contributions that get deducted from their paychecks as well as out-of-pocket charges ([View Highlight](https://read.readwise.io/read/01hjshk1tjsqpbz6aqf7zs4zzr)) > Overall, health care spending grew 4% in 2022 from the previous year, accounting for 17.3% of gross domestic product. The increase was largely driven by growth in Medicaid and private health insurance spending. ([View Highlight](https://read.readwise.io/read/01hjshkeema1ak4aqfv56xz37x))