Trump loves Australia’s universal healthcare:
Speaking to Australian Prime Minster Trumbull, Trump said, “We have a failing healthcare. I shouldn’t say this to our great gentleman and my friend from Australia, because you have better healthcare than we do.” A day later Trump repeated his praise for the Australian healthcare system, “Of course the Australians have better healthcare than we do – everybody does,” he wrote on Twitter. “Obamacare is dead! But our healthcare will soon be great.” 1 Of course in a rare moment of speaking the truth Trump is right about both assertions. Everyone in the developed world has better healthcare than us and at a shocking fraction of the cost.
Does Trump know Australia spends $5,495 per person per year vs our $9,990 (yep 66% more!!) for healthcare that ranks in the top ten in the world? Our rank?? 42nd for life span and 54th for infant mortality (see 2015 CIA World Factbook on this). Exactly how the Republican healthcare bill will improve on this performance is unknown. They passed it through Congress without even waiting for the Congressional Budget Office to grade it for cost and effectiveness. Better to vote out of religious fervor than be bothered by how many millions would be thrown off health insurance.
BTW – Australia is not an outlier in spending and results . All of our developed world competitors have a similar showing.