re: Why Are American Health Care Costs So High?

Because Obama.

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nsurance companies and medical profession in it together to make money while sticking it to consumer

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The healthier you are the more profit the insurance company makes. It is in their interest for you to be healthy.

No "real world" cost for service anymore.

What the hospital asks, what insurance pays the hospital, what hospital or insurance claims they pay on your bill, and the amount you are asked to pay at the end are 4 VASTLY different numbers. And each number is bullshite.

The hospital bill is a number they KNOW they will never see.

The dirtiest number is "covered by insurance" that amount of $$$ never changed hands.


End of life care was mentioned. This is very valid as well. But again the numbers are padded.

B/c our population is full of fat arse unhealthy people who eat fast food 8 times a week.

It puts a strain on the system having to take care of them.

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Meanwhile insurance companies are balling out of control and playing both sides against one another.

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I think insurance plays a part in this, but they're more responsible for in the sense that unless you're perusing EOBs you've got no clue what you're actually paying for care so you're not price sensitive.

Insurance companies are in the business themselves to keep healthcare costs down because it is obviously better for their bottom line. In the context of this thread I'm assuming we're discussing the actual healthcare costs, not health insurance costs.

Also, blaming it on lawyers/litigation is true to an extent, but is incredibly lazy.

Agreed..both go hand in hand. There are always outliers and non compliant patients and no change is immediate. It will take a generation of people who are sick of high healthcare costs and want to do something about it. They'll eat better, exercise, take their maintenance meds and stay out of the urgent cares, ERs and specialists offices.

The number three cause of death in the US is medical error.

So yes they (the medical field) have to figure cost of litigation into prices.

Lack of price fixing and lack of competition in the insurance market.

Government oversight.

Litigation/Frivolous malpractice lawsuits requiring Drs to have ridiculous malpractice insurance.

Medicaid/Medicare.

1. ER abuse
2. luxury items in treatment (like private rooms)
3. lack of wait time
4. defensive medicine (to avoid litigation)
5. aggressive medicine (esp for neonatal care)
6. unhealthy population compared to our peers
7. research and developmental costs

the biggest conceptual reason is that patients AND doctors are removed from the price point for services. insurance and governmental reimbursements dominate the repayment so much that the providers have no clue what the costs actually are

a lot of these costs have higher prices b/c of waste/abuse, primarily ER abuse by poor people. on top of this, we're much more unhealthy than our peers (esp the poor). our lowest class fricks up all sorts of things (education, crime, etc) , and healthcare is no different

lastly, we develop drugs. a lot of drugs. other countries free ride off of our R/D, while our population has to have those costs passed down to them