Clinton’s Health Plan : Health Plan: A User’s Guide : Perspectives

Data and details on the push for health reform.

* Amount that health care benefits add to the cost of a car:

U.S.: $1,100

Japan: $550

* U.S. automakers now spend more on health care than on steel.

* Fraud and abuse account for an estimated $80 billion a year, a dime of every dollar spent on health care.

* Average health insurance cost per employee:

1984: $1,645

1992: $4,000

* Average family health care costs:

1980: $2,572

1993**: $7,797

2000**: $14,000

** Projections under current systems

* According to a survey by the American Assn. of Retired Persons, more than 8 million Americans over age 55 say they have to choose between buying food and paying for medication.

* Health insurance premiums paid by employers accounted for only 5% of total compensation in 1989.

* Since 1980, health care has consumed an additional 1% of gross domestic product every 35 months.

* Under current conditions, one out of four Americans--63 million people--will lose their health coverage for some period during the next two years.

* Under the President’s plan, every American would receive a Health Security Card. The card would allow a doctor to access a patient’s medical records and bill the patient’s insurer electronically.

* Dental services are the slowest growing category of health service, mainly because of better preventive care.

* Medicare and Medicaid spending accounted for 13% of federal outlays in 1991. They are the fastest growing items on the federal budget.

HEALTH INDEX

The states with the most and least healthy residents, based on an index of various factors compiled by the insurer Northwestern National Life:

10 Most Healthy Rating*** Minnesota 22 New Hampshire 21 Hawaii 19 Connecticut 19 Utah 16 Vermont 15 Kansas 15 Massachusetts 14 Iowa 13 Colorado 13

10 Least Healthy Rating*** Mississippi -19 Louisiana -18 West Virginia -17 New Mexico -14 South Carolina -14 Arkansas -13 Alabama -13 Alaska -13 Nevada -10 Florida -9

California’s index rating of 1 placed it 24th from the top

***The rating in the right-hand column represents that state’s relative health compared to the national average.