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Our health care system could be dramatically improved, but it must involve more efficient care for our sickest patients. Consider this: about 5 percent of patients spend nearly half of all health care dollars, while the sickest 1 percent consume nearly one-quarter of health care expenditures. These figures suggest there are more opportunities to reduce health care spending by carefully managing the sickest 5 percent instead of wasting our efforts on the 80 percent who are relatively healthy. Thus, health reform requires improving incentives that positively affect the sickest patients.

It's shocking an adult could be this naive.

This person thinks medical centers don't try to keep costs low? What's the thought process behind that?

Every patient is on DRGs (diagnostic related groups) or Medicare. The services they charge for are capped!!!!!

If you go in for DRG 324, you get what the insurance company or Medicare pays for DRG 324. PERIOD!

What does the hospital try to do? It tries it's very best to cover that DRG 324 for the lowest possible outlay.

The idea the care for these patients is lush and over the top reveals the writer to have no clue whatsoever about modern health care.

This person thinks medical centers don't try to keep costs low? What's the thought process behind that?

That they have never worked in medical administration.

My doctor's office has four doctors, four nurses, one tech and six administrators. They used to have two. They are looking to add another two administrators after the new year to handle the paperwork.

What has changed in the past eight years?

You have three guesses and the first two don't count.

The services “they charge for” are capped.

The weakness in your argument is in “they”.

The solution used is to have “out-of-network” suppliers bilk the patient and then charge the “out-of-network” suppliers for the privilege of participation.

A center can also demand, collect and retain additional amounts from the unwary. Estates can be pilfered easily.