Report: State Health Costs Tops in World
Posted on: Wednesday, 20 July 2005, 18:00 CDT
It's no secret that health care isn't cheap but a pair of BU researchers claim the Bay State holds the title for the costliest health care on the planet.
"It's the most expensive health care in the world," said Dr. Alan Sager, a director of the Health Reform Program at the Boston University School of Public Health.
Health care spending in Massachusetts has soared to $1 billion per week, according to a report by Sager and his colleague, Deborah Socolar. That's $8,213 per person, triple the spending in Britain, Italy and Japan, the report said. This year's health spending in Massachusetts: about $52.7 billion.
Sager said the United States has the costliest health care because everyone isn't covered, spending isn't restrained and too many specialists are trained.
Fueling the Bay State's high cost is the use of extremely specialized caregivers, Sager said: "Over 70 percent of our physicians are specialists. Specialists generally practice more expensive care."
Socolar plans to present the report at a State House hearing today and testify in favor of a bill that would create the Massachusetts Health Care Trust. The trust would collect and distribute all money related to health care for all residents. About half a million residents don't have health insurance.
"It is enough to provide medical security for everybody who lives in Massachusetts while controlling costs," Sager said.
Source: Boston Herald
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