What factors con- verged to bring us to this dramatic breaking point?
How did we get to this costly and critical situation? What factors con- verged to bring us to this dramatic breaking point? Because of the unprec- edented growth of biomedical technology, we have witnessed the tremendous advancement in medical science and in the ability to perform an astound- ing variety of lifesaving procedures; now, not only can we no longer afford to finance these long-dreamed-of miracles, but the dream has become a nightmare.
The last question—“Why is it that health care is so expensive?”—may be answered by exploring the trends in the development of the health care system, but factored into this analysis is also the increase in the population; the desire
Table 8–5 Per Capita Health Expenditures Adjusted to U.S. Dollars in Selected Countries and Selected Years: 1960–2007
1960 1980 2000 2007
United States 149 1,091 4,704 7,290 Switzerland 166 1,017 3,217 4,417 Norway 49 668 3,039 4,763 Germany ___ 971 2,671 3,588 Canada 125 780 2,516 3,895 Denmark ___ 896 2,378 3,512 Spain 16 393 1,536 2,671 Japan 30 585 1,967 2,581 (in 2006) Mexico ___ ___ 508 823
Source: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. (2010). National Center for Health Statistics. Health, United States, 2010: With Special feature on Death and Dying. Hyattsville, MD. 2011: Author. Retrieved from www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/hus/hus10.pdf 2011, December 19, 2011, p. 365.
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by health care providers, researchers, and vendors to cure all diseases; and the public’s expectation that all illnesses can be cured. Each event has contributed to this situation, and the results are the ongoing issues we are confronting today.