The current special issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association takes the history and vitals of the U.S. health-care system's finances. And, as NPR's Shots blog reports, experts conclude that the cost of "drugs, hospital stays, doctors and bureaucracy" - rather than the number of diagnostic tests ordered or the size of the aging Baby Boomer population - accounts for over 90 percent of spending increases on health care since 2000.
What's the prognosis? Maybe the large and concentrated market power of "Big Med," says the Shots piece, borrowing the term from a JAMA analysis. But, like big airlines, the consolidation of services into fewer large bodies could produce better efficiency and safety while leading to a loss of quality in the consumer experience.
Previously: Making health care better and more affordable, The history of U.S. health care in about 1,000 words, An expert’s historical view of health care costs, Stanford expert urges physicians to take the high road in slowing health care spending and Does the Affordable Care Act address our health-cost problem?
