Healthcare expenses in Washington and across the United States are high. But some countries have it even worse.

Based on a British study, these are the most costly countries for hospitalization. It’s wise to purchase travel insurance before you set foot in any of them.

The Study Shows 

Staysure, a UK-based travel insurance company, used World Health Organization data to compile a list of the most expensive countries to be hospitalized in. They also polled 2,000 Brits about their travel attitudes.

These are the results. 

1: Monaco 

Monaco is the most expensive country for a Brit to be hospitalized in. A hospital stay costs £2,400 (about $3,074) per bed per night.

This is a similar price to an economy flight from New York to London. 

2: Luxembourg

It costs travelers £1,500 ($1,922) to stay in the hospital for one night in Luxembourg.

It’s a pricey stay, but at least you’ll have access to among the best hospitals in the world. 

3: Norway

A one-night stay in a hospital in Norway runs £1,150 per bed.

That works out to $1,473, which is more than the average cost of rent for a two-bedroom U.S. apartment for a month. 

4: Switzerland

The cost of a hospital stay in Switzerland is £900 per night ($1,154).

That’s about what a family of four spends on groceries for a month in the U.S. 

5: Australia

In Australia, the cost of a hospital stay works out to £700 ($897) per night.

Given the number of dangerous animals in Australia, the cost of a hospital stay might be something for all travelers to keep in mind. 

6: Denmark

If you need to stay in the hospital in Denmark, it will cost £700 ($897) per night.

Denmark ranks 7th in the world for healthcare innovation, though, so at least there’s a good chance you’d be in excellent hands. 

7: San Marino

A hospital stay in the microstate of San Marino costs about £650 ($833) per bed per night.

That’s about the price of a 16-inch Dell Inspiron laptop. 

8: Qatar

In Qatar, travelers who need to stay at the hospital spend £600 ($769) per bed per night.

It’s pricey, but the care is the best in the Middle East, according to the Legatum Prosperity Index. 

9: Sweden

Hospital stays in Sweden cost £600 ($769) per night.

That’s about equivalent to the cost of a room at the Ritz-Carlton in Waikiki Beach, Hawaii.  

10: United States

According to Staysure’s study, the average cost of a Brit hospitalized in the U.S. is about £600 ($769). However, Americans who’ve seen a hospital bill or two might doubt that number.

According to Healthcare.gov, the cost to fix a broken leg in the U.S. can cost as much as $7,500.

As for the cost of a three-night hospital stay?

That runs around $30,000.

Hospital Prices Affect Travel

Staysure’s survey found that almost one in five travelers worry about the high cost of healthcare in certain destinations.

While no one wants to stay in a hospital on vacation, sometimes it’s a necessity, and travelers worry they could end up in debt. 

Tourism Is Big Business for the US 

Tourism is a $20.2 trillion industry in the United States.

If a large percentage of would-be foreign tourists choose against visiting the U.S. because of high healthcare costs, it could be detrimental to the U.S. economy. 

Not Just a Tourism Problem 

Of course, the high cost of healthcare isn’t just a problem for tourists and the tourism industry. Many Americans regularly suffer from high healthcare prices.

Some even put off needed medical care or choose not to fill necessary prescriptions because of the cost. 

The Cost of Healthcare in the US

Compared to other countries, the United States spends an enormous amount on healthcare. Studies show the U.S. spends about $11,912 per person to cover healthcare costs.

For comparison, the UK only spends $5,388.

Growing Rate

The amount of money the U.S. spends on healthcare is only increasing.

Experts predict that just over 20% of the U.S. GDP will go towards healthcare by 2025 as more people age. 

Why It’s So High in the US 

There are several reasons the cost of healthcare is higher in the U.S. than it is in other countries.

Administrative expenses, corporate greed, price gouging, and higher utilization of expensive medical technology are among them.

As one Harvard researcher noted, the cost of American healthcare is about $3.5 trillion per year, but one-third of that goes to waste. 

Some of that waste is greed-related.

Many Americans believe the healthcare industry and pharmaceutical companies are out to make money first and foremost. They tend to blame pharmaceutical companies, especially for putting profits over people. 

Mostly at the Top

Studies show that the top 5% of U.S. patients account for 50% of healthcare costs.

Though many assume this is because of expensive pharmaceuticals, it’s actually because of high treatment costs. 

While greed may contribute to the high costs of healthcare, it doesn’t explain everything.

Even if the U.S. cut the cost of all prescription medications in half and eliminated all health insurance company profits, the gap between U.S. spending and other developed countries would fall by less than 25%. 

Administration Costs 

One of the other major sources of waste is administration costs.

Costs go down when systems run efficiently, but it’s nearly impossible to run an efficient healthcare system in the U.S., where each insurance provider has its own unique requirements. 

The Love of Healthcare

Interestingly, Americans seem to utilize healthcare more than citizens in comparable countries like Canada.

Even though U.S. citizens see doctors the same number of times as their Canadian counterparts, U.S. citizens are more likely to undergo intensive screenings and treatments. 

Some of the healthcare costs in the U.S. are attributable to research. The U.S. pharmaceutical industry is responsible for developing many new and life-changing drugs, which the rest of the world benefits from.

Policymakers fear that putting caps or limits on pharmaceutical company profits and drug costs could negatively impact future research. 

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To anyone familiar with them, accents are a giveaway about where you’re from. But according to a Preply survey, some American accents are more alluring than others.

Find out where New Orleans falls in the rankings.

Findings

Preply surveyed 1,000 individuals to determine how they perceive accents, including how accents may impact attractiveness, conversations, and intelligence.

They divided the data into three main categories: accents considered the sexiest, smartest, and most annoying.

These are the American accents that topped the list.

1: Southern Accent

Of the 1,000 individuals surveyed, 41% responded that they consider the Southern accent the most attractive in America.

The Southern accent is known for its unique twang and vowel shortening in states like Mississippi and Louisiana.

2: New York Accent

Donned by famous people like Frans Dresdner, Ray Romano, and Billy Joel, the New York accent is among the most distinct in the United States.

A key feature of the accent is its roundness in words like “water” or “coffee.”

The survey found that 30% of participants consider New York’s accent the most attractive.

3: Midwestern Accent

Often referred to as the “neutral English accent” by linguists, the Midwestern accent is known for phrases like “doncha know” and “oh ya.”

Preply’s survey revealed that 24% of participants found the Midwestern accent the most attractive in the US.

4: New Orleans Accent

Characteristically known as a melting pot of mixed dialects, the New Orleans accent has influences from the Irish, Italian, and French languages.

The New Orleans accent ranked as the third most favorite US accent, with a 19% rating.

5: Southern California Accent

Individuals with a Southern Californian accent elongate and slowly pace their vowel sounds.

If speaking to someone from the area, they may use filler words like “uhm.”

The accent rounds out the bottom of the list with an 18% approval rating from participants, making it still score high, given that there are around 30 English dialects in the US.

Beyond the Top Five

Preply’s survey found that the “smartest sounding” American accent was the Northeastern accent, followed by the New York and Midwestern accents.

The Northeastern accent comprises New England, Greater New York, and Greater Philadelphia dialects.

Standing Ovation

The New York accent ranked in all categories within the survey. In the categories of “sexiest American accent” and “smartest sounding accent,” the state ranked second.

Nonetheless, it ranked fourth in the category of “most annoying accent.”

Who’s in Last

Based on Preply’s survey, the Pittsburgh accent ranked last in attractiveness, at 3%. When speaking to someone with a Pittsburghese accent, you’ll likely hear a distinctive long “a” sound.

This accent originates from the Scots-Irish settlers and German immigrants who initially settled in the area.

Region vs Dialects

Preply found that unique accents often get misinterpreted as dialects.

It’s important to note that dialect refers to how someone pronounces words, constructs sentences, and converses with others. 

For example, there’s more than one Southern accent; accents from Coastal or Lowland Southern English dialects are considered “classic.”

Accents in America

Accents in the US have changed over the years. The Transatlantic accent spread across media like wildfire from the 1930s to the 50s.

For 20 years, a blend of American and British accents took center stage in the U.S. due to its neutrality and sophistication.

A Gateway to Stardom

Famous people’s accents often correlate with their stardom or attractiveness.

Fran Drescher, Kim Kardashian, and Gilbert Gottfried ranked as some of the “most annoying” famous people’s accents in Preply’s survey.

Music to Our Ears

People like Idris Elba, Sean Connery, and Chris Hemsworth ranked in the top three for the category “most attractive celebrity accents.”

In comparison, Brad Pitt ranked in last place, at number 20. 

Always Evolving

Accents aren’t set in stone. As groups of people become isolated from other groups, accents develop and change over time.

Don’t believe it?

Watch an old American film and see how different the accents were back then.

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1: Making a Point

The only way an American wants to hear “bloody” used is when talking about the tomato-based cocktail.

But in the United Kingdom (UK), throwing around the word “bloody” to provide extra emphasis is totally normal.

Although historians aren’t sure where “bloody” originated from in British English, some believe it could be from the “bloods,” which was a name for aristocratic rowdies.

2: Financial Speak 

Converting from dollars to pounds can be challenging enough for the casual American tourist.

So, hearing Brits talk about quids can be even more difficult.

The word “pound” carries a more formal tone and is similar to saying “dollar.” In contrast, “quid” is informal, like saying “bucks.”

3: Joking Around 

Some Americans are taken aback upon hearing Brits say, “Taking the pis*.”

However, they’re not literally needing to use the restroom. Instead, they use this phrase to express annoyance at a situation or to say something along the lines of “I’m just messing with you.”

4: A Spot of Breakfast

Many Americans know that crumpets are food. But when pressed to describe them, you’ll often be met with blank stares.

Crumpets are a pastry similar to a thick pancake crossed with an English muffin; think light with lots of air holes throughout and the perfect vehicle for butter or jam. 

5: The Rhyming Game 

Just like Americans, the British use different words in different regions of the UK.

Case in point?

In Cockney slang, locals often use rhyming phrases to describe what they’re talking about. For example, they may use “apples and pears” instead of “stairs.” Talk about confusing.

6: An Informal Greeting 

If you travel to the UK, don’t be surprised if someone greets you by saying “wotcher.”

That’s right: This isn’t a term only found in Harry Potter books.

Instead, it’s an informal greeting shortened from “What are you doing?” or “How are you doing?”

Similar to “howdy” in American English, the phrase “wotcher” usually doesn’t require a response. 

7: Family Business

Americans are used to hearing something along the lines of, “And that’s it” after someone explains how to do something.

But in Britain, many locals conclude with the phrase, “And Bob’s your Uncle!”

The phrase means to make something easy and is believed to be derived from a former Prime Minister who made his nephew Chief Secretary of Ireland. 

8: A Green Thumb 

It’s easy for Americans to get confused about the outdoor space around a house when listening to Brits speak.

What Americans call a “yard,” the British call a “garden.”

While a British garden refers to the entire front or back outdoor space around one’s house, they call various sections of landscaping “flowerbed,” “vegetable patch,” or “lawn.”

9: Dumb and Dumber 

While the term “prat” may leave Americans confused, the appropriate reaction is to be offended.

A prat is a demeaning way for Brits to call someone unintelligent or foolish.

10: No Lorries Allowed 

Ever wonder what the term “lorry” means? It’s a large truck, such as an 18-wheeler.

An 18-wheeler sounds like a more descriptive way to describe a vehicle, if you ask us.

11: Rock the Baby 

It turns out that not all devices used to push babies around in Britain go by the same name.

A “pram” is designed for newborns and infants, while the word “strollers” we’re familiar with using stateside are for older babies and toddlers. 

12: Wasting Time 

A fairly common phrase, “mucking about,” may be more familiar to Americans who watch British TV shows.

For those who don’t, the term simply means to mess around or waste time.

It’s the kind of phrase your mom says when you’re not doing your homework. 

13: Don’t Overexaggerate

The word “stonking” might evoke laughter from an American who’s never heard of the word.

However, it might not be met with the same enthusiasm from the Brit saying it.

“Stonking” is used to convey something exciting or extreme, such as “I’ve got a stonking headache.”

14: Do You Have the Time?

The way Brits say the time can be confusing for Americans.

For example, when you hear a Brit say “half ten,” it’s a shortened version of “half past ten.”

Or, in an even more common way for Americans to say it, 10:30.

15: A Quick Hello 

In Britain, asking someone how they’re doing and answering “alright” is totally normal, and there’s no reason to dig deeper.

But when an American hears someone say “alright,” they may think the person is anything but okay and press for more details.

Evolution of American English

So, how exactly did American colonists transition from speaking British to American English?

The change in dialect was due to isolation from Britain and exposure to other languages, such as Native American languages, mariners’ Indian English pidgin, and more.

Others, more well-intentioned, don’t mean to say something judgmental but end up there just the same.

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