In the aggregate, the United States spends far more per capita on care services than does any other industrialized nation; but understanding the price a consumer would pay for an individual service or set of services is far more difficult.
Research suggests that noneconomic damage caps are moderately successful in constraining the growth of liability insurance premiums, but that a mix of measures may be most effective.
Many provisions in the 2010 Affordable Care Act (ACA) aim to curb the rising cost of health care through greater competition among health plans, taxes on high-priced insurance coverage, measures to cut fraud and other approaches.
Medical liability generates direct costs, such as higher liability insurance premiums, and indirect costs, such as the extra medical services ordered to protect providers from liability risk.
For the most part, the U.S. health care system rewards providers for quantity of procedures rather than value of care.
The United States spent an estimated $2.5 trillion on health care in 2009, according to the federal government's National Health Expenditure Accounts.
The United States spends a larger share of its gross domestic product (GDP) on health care than any other major industrialized country. Over the past decade, increases in American health care spending have far outpaced increases in inflation and income, placing tremendous strain on employers, families and the overall economy.
One of the most hotly contested debates surrounding the Affordable Care Act (ACA) is whether the legislation will lower health care costs. Many say it will lower the federal budget deficit over the long-term, and others contend that it will inflate the deficit and national debt. As reform is implemented, it will be important to track how cost controls in the legislation, new rules for allowing purchase of health insurance across state lines and malpractice reform could affect the amount of money America spends on health care.
Americans are living longer, but also with chronic illnesses that limit a person's functional status, productivity, and quality of life.
Read moreHealth care premiums for family coverage increased 50 percent from 2003 to 2010, and the employee share of premiums saw a 63 percent bump.
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