The care we buy

$700 billion

The amount wasted in the U.S. healthcare system each year, according to a report from Thomson Reuters

Percent of waste that comes from overuse of antibiotics and lab tests to protect against malpractice exposure

Percent that comes from administrative inefficiency and redundant paperwork

Percent of the budget of the average U.S. hospital spent on billing and administration, twice the rate of Canadian hospitals

1.66

Clerical workers per physician in the U.S.

Hours per week spent on paperwork by American physicians

200

The number of private health insurance plans available in Germany’s national health care system

Percent of health care spending devoted to administration in France

$1,500

The cost of an MRI scan of the neck region in the U.S.

$98

The cost of the same scan in Japan

700,000

Number of Americans forced into bankruptcy each year by medical bills

Percent who had health insurance when they got sick

Sources: Reuters, Washington Post; New York Times