Billionaire Elon Musk on Thursday weighed in on the cost of health care in the U.S., questioning the value Americans get for the coverage they receive.
“Shouldn’t the American people be getting their money’s worth?” Musk, who was tapped to co-lead the incoming Trump administration’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) alongside Vivek Ramaswamy, replied to a post on X.
His comment was in response to a post highlighting data from the Peter G. Peterson Foundation that says that the U.S. has the highest health care admin costs (per capita) compared to Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) countries.
According to the foundation, the U.S. spends over $1,000 per person on administrative costs, which is almost five times more than the average of other wealthy countries. It is also more than it spends on long-term health care.
In 2022, the U.S. spent an estimated $12,742 per person on health care, marking the highest health care costs per capita across similar countries, according to the foundation.
The comments come as law enforcement continues to search for the person who killed UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson outside a New York City hotel early Wednesday, in what police say was a targeted attack.
While the NYPD has not yet disclosed a possible motive behind the killing, the nation’s largest health insurance company has come under fire in recent months. In particular, it is facing scrutiny for allegedly wrongfully denying claims.
Over the summer, nearly a dozen people were arrested in a protest outside of UnitedHealthcare parent UnitedHealth Group’s headquarters in Minnetonka, Minnesota. The demonstration was organized by People’s Action Institute, which accused the company of refusing to pay for patients’ necessary health treatments.
In response, UnitedHealth said in a statement, “The safety and security of our employees is a top priority. We have resolved the member-specific concerns raised by this group and remain open to a constructive dialogue about ensuring access to high-quality, affordable care.”