Spending more, feeling worse: medical care expenditures and self rated health

International comparisons show that the United States spends more on health care than other industrialised nations. 1 According to 2000 data, the United States led the way in per capita healthcare spending at $4631, more than double the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) median of $1983 (in purchasing power parities based on the US dollar). [...]researchers have reported that the US has lower life expectancy at birth and higher maternal and infant mortality. 3, 4 Equally important, cross national studies consistently show that US citizens are less satisfied with their healthcare system than Canadians or Europeans. 2 Another key indicator of population health, not previously used in cross national comparisons, is self rated health (SRH).