Final answer:
Total health spending in the U.S. includes significant hospital costs, reflected in the 36% state spending on health care and 17% of U.S. GDP dedicated to health care, which is higher than the average in other developed countries.
Step-by-step explanation:
The question asked how much hospitals represent in total health spending. It's important to consider various sources to provide a precise answer. While specific figures detailing the percentage that hospitals represent in total health spending are not provided here, we can infer from the data that health care costs involve a significant portion of spending by states, constituting an average of 36% of state expenses according to a state spending pie chart.
Additionally, the United States spends 17% of its GDP on health care, which includes hospital spending among other health-related expenses. This percentage is notably higher in comparison to other developed countries, which, on average, spend 11% of their GDP on health care. The high costs in the U.S. may be due to higher prices rather than a higher usage of health care services, as suggested by the fewer number of doctors and hospital visits in the U.S. compared to other countries.