US Healthcare: Prices vs Quantity and Quality

The US spends roughly 17% of GDP on healthcare, according to the OECD; most European countries spend less than 12% of GDP.

Higher quality-adjusted US healthcare prices contribute relatively more to the extra US spending than does the combination of higher quantity and quality of US care (interpreting quantity and quality to reflect both greater American healthcare needs due to underlying population health and the delivery of more or better healthcare services to Americans).

Responses weighted by each expert's confidence

Participant University Vote Confidence Bio/Vote History
Aghion
Philippe Aghion
Harvard Did Not Answer Bio/Vote History
Allen
Franklin Allen
Imperial College London
Agree
6
Bio/Vote History
Antras
Pol Antras
Harvard
No Opinion
Bio/Vote History
The question is far from my field of expertise so I don't have strong views. But I can't wait to hear what the experts have to say about it!
Besley
Timothy J. Besley
LSE Did Not Answer Bio/Vote History
Blanchard
Olivier Blanchard
Peterson Institute
Strongly Agree
8
Bio/Vote History
Example: Income of US doctors many times income of European doctors, with no evidence of difference in quality.
Bloom
Nicholas Bloom
Stanford
Uncertain
1
Bio/Vote History
Drugs prices are much higher in the US, but that induces more R&D and a strong US Pharma industry. So that spending is not obviously wasted.
Blundell
Richard William Blundell
University College London Did Not Answer Bio/Vote History
Bénassy-Quéré
Agnès Bénassy-Quéré
Paris School of Economics
Agree
8
Bio/Vote History
Carletti
Elena Carletti
Bocconi Did Not Answer Bio/Vote History
Danthine
Jean-Pierre Danthine
Paris School of Economics
Agree
2
Bio/Vote History
De Grauwe
Paul De Grauwe
LSE
No Opinion
Bio/Vote History
I am not expert enough to have opinion on this
Eeckhout
Jan Eeckhout
UPF Barcelona
Strongly Disagree
8
Bio/Vote History
Panelist meant to Strongly Agree (misread question). OECD # of physicians/cap 50% > US. Licensing, entry barriers in US mkt for physicians.
Fehr
Ernst Fehr
Universität Zurich Did Not Answer Bio/Vote History
Freixas
Xavier Freixas
Barcelona GSE
Agree
3
Bio/Vote History
Fuchs-Schündeln
Nicola Fuchs-Schündeln
Goethe-Universität Frankfurt
Uncertain
1
Bio/Vote History
Galí
Jordi Galí
Barcelona GSE
No Opinion
Bio/Vote History
Garicano
Luis Garicano
LSE
Strongly Agree
10
Bio/Vote History
Prices are obviously key. But even more important is overtreament, due to both carrots (fee per service) and sticks (personal liability)
Giavazzi
Francesco Giavazzi
Bocconi
No Opinion
Bio/Vote History
Griffith
Rachel Griffith
University of Manchester
Strongly Agree
7
Bio/Vote History
Guerrieri
Veronica Guerrieri
Chicago Booth
Disagree
6
Bio/Vote History
Guiso
Luigi Guiso
Einaudi Institute for Economics and Finance
Strongly Agree
1
Bio/Vote History
France has an excellent health care systems and costs much less than the us
Honohan
Patrick Honohan
Trinity College Dublin
Agree
2
Bio/Vote History
Kleven
Henrik Kleven
Princeton Did Not Answer Bio/Vote History
Krahnen
Jan Pieter Krahnen
Goethe University Frankfurt
No Opinion
Bio/Vote History
Krusell
Per Krusell
Stockholm University
Disagree
2
Bio/Vote History
I'm quite uninformed on this issue!
Kőszegi
Botond Kőszegi
Central European University
Strongly Agree
9
Bio/Vote History
La Ferrara
Eliana La Ferrara
Harvard Kennedy Did Not Answer Bio/Vote History
Leuz
Christian Leuz
Chicago Booth
Agree
6
Bio/Vote History
Lots evidence: It's not quantity; price is main&biggest factor; only Q is whether care intensity (the other big driver) is quality or price.
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Meghir
Costas Meghir
Yale Did Not Answer Bio/Vote History
Neary
Peter Neary
Oxford
Agree
6
Bio/Vote History
More fragmented demand side (mainly private rather than public suppliers) a factor; also looser regulation on marketing (not R&D)
O'Rourke
Kevin O'Rourke
Oxford Did Not Answer Bio/Vote History
Pagano
Marco Pagano
Università di Napoli Federico II
Agree
1
Bio/Vote History
Pastor
Lubos Pastor
Chicago Booth
No Opinion
Bio/Vote History
Persson
Torsten Persson
Stockholm University
Agree
6
Bio/Vote History
Pissarides
Christopher Pissarides
London School of Economics and Political Science
Strongly Agree
1
Bio/Vote History
The US is an outlier in OECD data plots, far more expensive than the rest. Disease and death rates are not better than elsewhere
Portes
Richard Portes
London Business School
Strongly Agree
6
Bio/Vote History
Prendergast
Canice Prendergast
Chicago Booth
Agree
9
Bio/Vote History
Reichlin
Lucrezia Reichlin
London Business School Did Not Answer Bio/Vote History
Repullo
Rafael Repullo
CEMFI
No Opinion
Bio/Vote History
Rey
Hélène Rey
London Business School
Agree
6
Bio/Vote History
The main difference between US and Europe is that Europe has universal healthcare and it is administered in a more cost effective way.
Schoar
Antoinette Schoar
MIT
No Opinion
Bio/Vote History
Van Reenen
John Van Reenen
LSE
Agree
6
Bio/Vote History
My work shows that prices are major driver of private US healthcare spending. This is related to market power of hospitals
-see background information here
Vickers
John Vickers
Oxford
Agree
4
Bio/Vote History
Voth
Hans-Joachim Voth
University of Zurich
Strongly Agree
10
Bio/Vote History
Weder di Mauro
Beatrice Weder di Mauro
The Graduate Institute, Geneva Did Not Answer Bio/Vote History
Whelan
Karl Whelan
University College Dublin
Agree
8
Bio/Vote History
The US spends more on healthcare than European countries but covers a small fraction of the population and has inferior health outcomes.
Wyplosz
Charles Wyplosz
The Graduate Institute Geneva
No Opinion
Bio/Vote History
Zilibotti
Fabrizio Zilibotti
Yale University
Agree
7
Bio/Vote History