The United States might have some of the costliest healthcare in the world, but America placed dead last in healthcare quality and access in a ranking of 11 industrialized nations, according to a new study. 

The United Kingdom was ranked first overall despite its per-capita health spending being less than half of that of America, The Los Angeles Times reported. Switzerland and Sweden received high rankings as well while Canada and France ranked just above the U.S. at the bottom of the list, according to the study released Monday by the Commonwealth Fund, a private foundation for the support of health policy research.

The study's researchers cited a lack of access to primary care and the healthcare system's inefficiencies as why the U.S. was ranked last.

Karen Davis, the study's lead author, said it was no surprise the U.S. ranked the lowest of the world's industrialized nations even though its healthcare system has underwent a considerable overhaul.

"It is disappointing but not surprising that despite our significant investment in healthcare, the U.S. has continued to lag behind other countries," she said.

Davis also said that the Affordable Care Act's provisions could improve the nation's rankings.

"With enactment of the Affordable Care Act, however, we have entered a new era in American healthcare," Davis added.

The Times reported that $8,508 was spent per person in 2011 by the U.S. while the UK spent only $3,406 on its citizens the same year.

According to the study, the U.S. also received low rankings in several other measures including infant mortality, which the U.S. also placed last in among the 11 industrialized nations. Cost of treatment and other financial problems kept more than one-third of American adults from seeking recommended tests or treatments.

Regular physician care availability also hurt the U.S. in the study; 40 percent of U.S. adults visited emergency rooms instead of going to see a regular doctor because none was unavailable.