The reason we spend more and get less than the rest of the world is because we have a patchwork system of for-profit payers. Private insurers necessarily waste health dollars on things that have nothing to do with care: overhead, underwriting, billing, sales and marketing departments as well as huge profits and exorbitant executive pay. Doctors and hospitals must maintain costly administrative staffs to deal with the bureaucracy. Combined, this needless administration consumes one-third (31 percent) of Americans’ health dollars.

The regional medical cener where I am employed has a department that was not in existence 20 years ago. It is called Utilization Review. It employs 23 Registered Nurses to sort out and call and try to obtain approval for healthcare days and procedures from various insures and try to work the maze of their paperwork and get their approval for the physician to admit or treat the patient.

More than 25% of our healthcare dollars are being thrown to the wind with these multi system for profit mangers. however they can dictate to you whether or not your patient can stay an additional day in the hospital but they have no liability. they are protected and many of their CEO are making 30 million+. Add in the pharaceautical industry and you have skyrocketing costs.