U.S. Healthcare Improves, Costs Vary by Disease

Study finds medical care advances increased health spans by 1.3 years but spending by $234,000 per person over their lifetime

Published on Feb. 26, 2026

Got story updates? Submit your updates here. ›

A new study from the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation at the University of Washington found that over two decades, medical care improvements increased health spans in the U.S. by 1.3 years but also increased medical spending by $234,000 per person over their lifetime. The analysis examined changes in 132 causes of disease across all ages between 1996 and 2016, highlighting that the problem is not simply how much the nation spends on healthcare, but where those dollars go and what they achieve.

Why it matters

The findings suggest that efforts to control healthcare costs should focus less on across-the-board spending cuts and more on improving access to care for conditions and interventions that deliver meaningful health improvements. The research highlights the need for innovation to address conditions that drive high costs without improving health outcomes.

The details

The study found that bolstering healthcare resources for roughly 60% of conditions, including ischemic heart disease, stroke, and HIV/AIDS, produced substantial health gains at relatively modest costs. For example, better medications, devices, and emergency care for ischemic heart disease added a quarter of a healthy year averaged over all Americans at a cost of about $63,000 per healthy year gained. Additionally, HIV/AIDS treatments produced one of the largest increases in survival and quality of life at very low spending of $9,300 per healthy year gained, making them a cost-effective investment. However, the study also found that for some conditions like chronic kidney disease and drug use disorders, health spans decreased as lifetime spending increased.

  • The study examined changes in 132 causes of disease across all ages between 1996 and 2016.

The players

Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation

A research institute at the University of Washington School of Medicine that conducted the comprehensive assessment of what Americans received in return for rising medical costs.

Marcia Weaver

A Research Professor at the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation and the senior author of the study.

Abe Dunn

An Assistant Chief Economist at the United States Bureau of Economic Analysis and a co-author of the study.

Got photos? Submit your photos here. ›

What they’re saying

“These findings highlight that the problem is not simply how much the nation spends on health care, but where those dollars go and what they achieve.”

— Marcia Weaver, Research Professor, Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (Value in Health)

“Disease-level spending estimates provide a foundation for identifying patterns in health care spending and understanding how those patterns relate to health outcomes.”

— Abe Dunn, Assistant Chief Economist, United States Bureau of Economic Analysis (Value in Health)

“Better alignment of spending with health outcomes could significantly improve the overall value of U.S. health care, ultimately saving lives, improving quality of life, and making more effective use of limited resources.”

— Marcia Weaver, Research Professor, Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (Value in Health)

The takeaway

The study highlights the need for a more targeted approach to healthcare spending, focusing on conditions and interventions that deliver the greatest health improvements rather than across-the-board cuts. By aligning spending with outcomes, the U.S. healthcare system could become more efficient and effective, ultimately saving lives and improving quality of life for Americans.