Why Is Health Care So Expensive?

Why is health care so expensive? According to the Journal of the American Medical Association (2013), “The biggest reason is that United States health care delivers a more expensive mix of services. For example, a much larger proportion of physician visits in the United States are for specialist who charge higher fees.” For instance, if an individual has hemorrhoid symptoms, typically they can go to their general physician. Though, if more complications arise, they will need to schedule an appointment to see a gastroenterologist, who specializes in that area. Nevertheless, why are physicians that specialize in specific areas so expensive? Why do they recommended the more expensive prescription drug instead of the off brand?
Over time Americans

have learned that if you have insurance you are not always covered. Whether the expenses for health care are used for physician services, prescription drugs, or emergency care; the amount of money the United States uses, surpasses other countries. According to Consumer reports (2014), in 2010 a New York patient needed an emergency heart transplant. Although her surgery had taken place at a hospital within her health plan’s network, they failed to inform her that the physicians that needed to do the procedure did not take her insurance. Consequently, though she had insurance she was still not covered and billed for the entire amount.
On the other hand, it is interesting that those that pay for insurance and those that are uninsured can occasionally come out paying the same amount. As Americans, those of us that do have money taken from our check monthly for insurance, should be one step ahead of those that do not. There are insurance plans such as the Health Savings Account where no co-pay is required, but you must meet a deductible of $2500 before the insurance company pays for anything. For those that do pay for insurance, how is this fair? The have to pay a full doctors bill just as if they have no insurance at all. When looking from the outside in, insurance companies sell nothing more than security against financial risk. If no one really understands what that risk is (because all prices are hidden or misleading) then the price of the insurance can be exceptionally inflated.