Study exposes poor health expenditure

A SURVEY of health trends across 30 countries found Ireland’s total annual health expenditure per person is €1659.47, below the OECD average of €1,817.63 and far behind the US rate of €4,191.13.

The OECD study also revealed total health expenditure per capita in Germany was €2,408.22. The British figure was €1708.36 and the spend in Mexico was just €502.57.

Over the past decade, on average across OECD countries, the health expenditure to GDP ratio increased from 7.3% in 1990 to 8.1% in 2000 and up to 8.4% in 2001.