Health costs: How the US compares with other countries

The US spends $8,233 per person each year on healthcare. That is more than two-and-a-half times more than most developed nations in the world and now eats up 17.6 percent of GDP. Many americans, including some politicians, say that the US has "the best health care in the world." But let's consider what 17 cents of every U.S. dollar is purchasing. According to the most recent report from the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD)—an international economic group comprised of 34 member nations—it's not as much as many Americans expect.