Breakdown of American Healthcare Spending

We all know that many American dollars are being spent on healthcare services. In fact, in 2003 alone, people in the United States spent $1.7 trillion on healthcare services. But where exactly is all this money going?

1. We spent almost one third of our healthcare money, $542 billion, on visits to the doctor or dentist. While these visits are typically not too pricey, they are numerous.

2. $516 billion was spent on hospital care. In 2003, only 7% of Americans reported spending the night in the hospital. Since hospital care is so expensive, however, this category is the second most expensive type of healthcare.

3. The remainder of our $1.7 trillion was spent on prescription drugs. With more new drugs to buy, we are spending more of our healthcare money than ever before on prescriptions.