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About 60 million Americans receive some federal assistance.

A slightly larger number get healthcare from Medicaid.

The assistance is not a large amount per month, but it is there.

Medicaid covers around 80 million people, at roughly $7,000 a year per recipient, which is double what the UK spends per patient.

The breakdown of the per recipient spending is useful:

Much of the spending is on the elderly and disabled (which both group tend to have above average medical needs).