4 ms·

Only a few generations ago, healthcare was not so ruinously expensive in the USA. We've never had taxpayer-funded universal care. So what caused the explosion i

Only a few generations ago, healthcare was not so ruinously expensive in the USA. We've never had taxpayer-funded universal care. So what caused the explosion in costs?

toomuchtodo 8y ago
TL;DR Lack of cost controls and unnecessary administrative costs. > In the U.S., they point out, drugs are more expensive. Doctors get paid more. Hospital services and diagnostic tests cost more. And a lot more money goes to planning, regulating and managing medical services at the administrative level. So, we're all getting a lower quality of care for a lot more money, due to how the healthcare "market" is configured. https://www.nytimes.com/2018/03/13/upshot/united-states-health-care-resembles-rest-of-world.html https://www.nytimes.com/2018/03/13/upshot/united-states-heal... https://www.cnbc.com/2018/03/22/the-real-reason-medical-care-costs-so-much-more-in-the-us.html https://www.cnbc.com/2018/03/22/the-real-reason-medical-care... https://www.cnn.com/2017/11/07/health/health-care-spending-study/index.html https://www.cnn.com/2017/11/07/health/health-care-spending-s... https://www.consumerreports.org/cro/magazine/2014/11/it-is-time-to-get-mad-about-the-outrageous-cost-of-health-care/index.htm https://www.consumerreports.org/cro/magazine/2014/11/it-is-t...
- sedor0115 8y ago
  This fails to address the elephant-sized American in the room. Any analysis of increasing healthcare costs that doesn't quantify the fiscal impact of the average American's failure to care for themselves is just beating around the bush. The obesity rate alone has gone from 10% in the 60s to 40% today. These people need more care that is harder to provide, and to not expect healthcare costs to rise significantly from that is to expect healthcare workers to work for free. Our system is a little sick, sure, but the bulk of the responsibility for the current situation lies squarely at our own feet as individuals. This problem will never be solved before America puts down the fork.
rednerrus 8y ago
The elastic nature of health care costs and the disconnect between the people making the purchases and the people paying the bills. If you have insurance, chances are that you are not asking your doctor how much something is going to cost. You are not likely to shop around or work to get the best deal. As a healthcare provider, where is the incentive to bring costs down.
- jedharris 8y ago
  Also, hospitals typically won't tell you how much something will cost, so you can't shop around even when you are willing to. Also sometimes hospitals will lie about what they will charge -- happened to my daughter regarding her appendectomy. Should count as fraud.

Only a few generations ago, healthcare was not so ruinously expensive in the USA. We've never had taxpayer-funded universal care. So what caused the explosion in costs?

toomuchtodo 8y ago

TL;DR Lack of cost controls and unnecessary administrative costs. > In the U.S., they point out, drugs are more expensive. Doctors get paid more. Hospital services and diagnostic tests cost more. And a lot more money goes to planning, regulating and managing medical services at the administrative level. So, we're all getting a lower quality of care for a lot more money, due to how the healthcare "market" is configured. https://www.nytimes.com/2018/03/13/upshot/united-states-health-care-resembles-rest-of-world.html https://www.nytimes.com/2018/03/13/upshot/united-states-heal... https://www.cnbc.com/2018/03/22/the-real-reason-medical-care-costs-so-much-more-in-the-us.html https://www.cnbc.com/2018/03/22/the-real-reason-medical-care... https://www.cnn.com/2017/11/07/health/health-care-spending-study/index.html https://www.cnn.com/2017/11/07/health/health-care-spending-s... https://www.consumerreports.org/cro/magazine/2014/11/it-is-time-to-get-mad-about-the-outrageous-cost-of-health-care/index.htm https://www.consumerreports.org/cro/magazine/2014/11/it-is-t...

sedor0115 8y ago
This fails to address the elephant-sized American in the room. Any analysis of increasing healthcare costs that doesn't quantify the fiscal impact of the average American's failure to care for themselves is just beating around the bush. The obesity rate alone has gone from 10% in the 60s to 40% today. These people need more care that is harder to provide, and to not expect healthcare costs to rise significantly from that is to expect healthcare workers to work for free. Our system is a little sick, sure, but the bulk of the responsibility for the current situation lies squarely at our own feet as individuals. This problem will never be solved before America puts down the fork.

rednerrus 8y ago

The elastic nature of health care costs and the disconnect between the people making the purchases and the people paying the bills. If you have insurance, chances are that you are not asking your doctor how much something is going to cost. You are not likely to shop around or work to get the best deal. As a healthcare provider, where is the incentive to bring costs down.

jedharris 8y ago
Also, hospitals typically won't tell you how much something will cost, so you can't shop around even when you are willing to. Also sometimes hospitals will lie about what they will charge -- happened to my daughter regarding her appendectomy. Should count as fraud.