By David Leo,  
President of  
WMI
® Mutual  
Insurance Company  
& WMI TPA
®
AMERICAN
AMERICAN 	 	
             
             Are We Getting 	
Fall 2026 
ASSOCIATE 
MEMBER  
News
There is probably no subject Americans argue about 
more than health care. Some believe the answer is more  
government involvement, but others believe the answer is  
less government involvement and more competition. Some 
believe everyone should have government-provided health 
care, while others believe Americans should be able to choose 
the insurance and doctors they want. Perhaps the most  
important question is even more simple: What are we  
actually getting for the money we spend?
The United States spends more on health care than any other 
country in the world—by a very large margin. Yet when we 
compare our health outcomes with other developed nations, 
the results are surprisingly poor. That doesn’t mean 
the practice of medicine in America is inferior. 
Quite the opposite. The United States is home to 
some of the world’s finest hospitals, physicians, 
researchers, pharmaceutical companies and medical 
technology; however, a health care system is about more 
than cutting-edge medicine. It is also about affordability, 
access, prevention and, ultimately, whether people live 
longer and healthier lives, and this is where we fall short.
Executive Summary
 The U.S. spends approximately 17.2% of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) on health care, compared to an average  
of just 9.3% amongst the 38 richest democratic countries that comprise the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and 
Development (OECD). The U.S. spends approximately $14,885 per person on health care, more than twice the OECD average.
 U.S. life expectancy is approximately 78.4 years, compared with 84.1 years in Japan, 83.0 years in Australia, 81.9 years  
in the Netherlands, 81.0 years in the United Kingdom and 84.3 years in Switzerland.
 The United States has approximately 217 preventable deaths per 100,000 people, compared with just 86 in Japan,  
99 in Australia, 100 in the Netherlands and 80 in Switzerland.
 Treatable mortality is approximately 95 per 100,000 in the United States, compared with 49 in Japan, 47 in Australia,  
49 in the Netherlands and 34 in Switzerland.
 Mexico provides an important counterexample. Its life expectancy is approximately 75.4 years, with preventable  
mortality of 435 per 100,000 and treatable mortality of 230 per 100,000.
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 www.wpma.com / Fall 2026

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