Dead last in health care? U.S., 15 other nations ranked

It's no secret that the U.S. health-care system has its shortcomings. But how do we stack up against other wealthy nations? For a study published recently in the journal Health Policy, researchers looked at data from 2006-2007 to determine how good the U.S. and 15 other countries are at preventing deaths from four common killers - heart disease, diabetes, stroke, and bacterial infections - and came up with a ranking that might surprise even the U.S. health-care system's biggest naysayers. Keep clicking for a look...

1. France

Which nation does best at preventing preventable deaths? France. It had 55 preventable deaths per 100,000 population.

2. Australia

Preventable deaths per 100,000 population: 57

3. Italy

Preventable deaths per 100,000 population: 60

4. Japan (TIE)

Preventable deaths per 100,000 population: 61

5. Sweden (TIE)

Preventable deaths per 100,000 population: 61

6. Norway

Preventable deaths per 100,000 population: 64

7. Netherlands

Preventable deaths per 100,000 population: 66

8. Austria

Preventable deaths per 100,000 population: 67

9. Finland

Preventable deaths per 100,000 population: 74

10. Germany

Preventable deaths per 100,000 population: 76

11. Greece

Preventable deaths per 100,000 population: 77

12. Ireland

Preventable deaths per 100,000 population: 78

13. New Zealand

Preventable deaths per 100,000 population: 79

14. Denmark

Preventable deaths per 100,000 population: 80

15. United Kingdom

Preventable deaths per 100,000 population: 83

16. United States

U.S.A. #1 when it comes to preventing preventable deaths? Not hardly. The U.S. lags behind all the others, with 96 preventable deaths per 100,000 population.