Health care in the United States is provided by many separate legal entities. Current estimations put US health spending at approximately 15% of GDP.

The United States follows a less 'socialist' system of healthcare than most nations; Canada and the United Kingdom, for example, have fully state-funded systems. The accepted system from the point of view of the citizen is to acquire health insurance, typically thousands of dollars per year per capita, and this policy covers all major healthcare requirements. If a citizen lacks such a policy, then they must either pay for treatment, or typically be treated at another, cheaper, or sometimes third-rate hospital, or the county hospital. Various government programs for state aid exist to cover some emergency or more long-term care, and the generally high cost of treatment has led to the concept of doctors completing pro bono work in addition to their more high-paying customers. However, the system has come under criticism for its failure to meet the needs of the uninsured.

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