Drivers of Health Care Costs: Technology vs Social, Legal, and Behavioral Factors

Abstract

As the United States once again embraces the prospect of health care reform, high technology services, especially high-cost services including imaging, are likely to come under intense review as areas where costs might be reduced or contained. A compelling reason for finding areas to reduce costs is that health care spending in the United States has now eclipsed $2.4 trillion per year, equaling 17% of the gross national product. Moreover, annual increases in health care spending have exceeded inflation for many years with increasing costs for imaging services leading the way in percentage terms.