- Americans spend more than $7,400 per person on health care services annually.
- Spending on health care in the U.S. accounts for 16.0% (or 1/6) of gross domestic product.
- Tennessee health care costs 9% more on the average than U.S. health care.
- Tennesseans buy 16.9 prescriptions per year, compared to about 11.8 nationally
- Tennesseans spend $1,272.94 per person on prescription drugs, compared to $948.72 nationally.
- Despite paying more for health care, Tennesseans:
- Have one of the highest rates of obesity nationally (40% higher than U.S. trend; 10% higher than regional trend).
- Have an increase in diabetes of 1.2% per year (278% higher than U.S. trend; 109% higher than regional trend).
- Have 33% less than U.S. trend in smoking decrease; 33% greater than regional trend.
- Have an average rate of 8.69 in the infant death rate per 1,000 births compared to 6.86 nationally.
- 20% of Tennesseans Participate in TennCare.
- Nearly 14% of Tennesseans are uninsured.
Online Resources Offer More Info
For more information on BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee, visit the company’s Web site at www.bcbst.com.