For someone who doesn’t go into the system much, it’s hard to swallow the rise of healthcare. In the US alone, healthcare spending grew 4.1% in 2022, reaching $4.5 trillion or $13,493 per person. That is 17.3% of the national GDP. There are many reasons for this: new technology, healthcare system complexities, consolidation of hospitals, lack of resources, and a sicker society.  

It’s important to note that just because we are providing more services doesn’t mean we are better off. We lag behind other countries where they can validate their spending per capita by increasing life expectancy and decreasing diabetes/obesity, etc. Containing these costs is essential for our long-term economic and personal well-being.  

We have an opportunity here to improve our quality of care at a lower cost. It can be done as seen in other countries. The federal government is the largest payer of healthcare. Federal programs are so political and, therefore, fail to meet objectives. However, reducing this national cost shifts costs to other healthcare system parts. It’s a no-win situation. We’ve seen this before. Patients coming into the ER too late bogging down resources for others to access good care because they weren’t given access to a primary care physician (PCP).  

So, is the problem lying at the provider level? You see a lot of waste. I’ve been dealing with the same problem for three years. I continue to be seen by different doctors in the same system, but each doctor sees it differently. So, many duplications in testing, appointments, etc. Luckily, I know where this is headed because I am a nurse, so I have some peace of mind but have no idea how most of the population deals with this. Lack of continuity is a huge problem. We all want to be seen faster; they spread the schedule over the list of physicians in the office. However, keeping the patient with the same physician is better, especially if you want quality of care and to contain costs. 

A good portion of society isn’t paying this bill. These are the abusers in some ways.  Obesity and type II diabetes can be prevented if one takes care of oneself. Should their premiums go up? We do that for car insurance. If you get an accident or speeding ticket, your insurance increases. Exposing patients to some out-of-pocket expenses may drive that accountability. This is where consequences can change one’s behavior, but some would find this inhumane. However, I see it differently because people would be healthier and have a better life.  

The only way to keep personal health expenditures down is to avoid entering the system. Of course, you should go to the doctor if you are sick and need care. We need to prioritize our health, which starts with each of us. It’s all about supply and demand, so if we can return to the basics, we won’t be so dependent on the system. When demand starts slowing, you should see a decrease in costs. That’s the only way we get back to affordable healthcare. Otherwise, costs will continue to climb with no end in sight.