The U.S. spends nearly $5 trillion a year on health--why do we look so sick?

This week, I’ll look at the nearly $5 trillion dollars that we shell out as a nation for healthcare and where all that loot ends up, who gets the biggest share of that enormous pie, and efforts to rein in the relentless increases in costs and what people go through to pay for their care—or go without. 

Here are links to all the articles mentioned. At the bottom I include the link for an archive to all my digests going back 7 years and my email if you want the digest delivered to your inbox. 

Ahmed Aboulenein, “U.S. healthcare spending rises to $4.8 trillion in 2023, outpacing GDP,” Reuters, Jun 13, 2024 https://reut.rs/3z7W36K

Cory Doctorow, “The health industry’s invisible hand is a fist,” Pluralistic, Jun 13, 2024 https://pluralistic.net/2024/06/13/a-punch-in-the-guts/

Nora Kenworthy, “What the toxic morality of crowdfunded healthcare says about American society,” Literary Hub, May 24, 2024 https://bit.ly/4c5WpcG

Molly Castle Work, “Los Angeles County launches ambitious plan to tackle medical debt. Hospitals groan,” KFF Health News/LAist, May 23, 2024 https://bit.ly/3R75Obc

Noam Levey, “Why one New York health system stopped suing its patients,” KFF Health News, May 15, 2024 https://bit.ly/3VXHDiF

Bernard J. Wolfson, “California becomes latest state to try capping health care spending,” KFF Health News/LAist, Jun 4, 2024 https://bit.ly/3KQ9ryT

Paige Minemyer, “UnitedHealth chief Andrew Witty was 2023’s highest-paid payer CEO,” Fierce Healthcare, May 20, 2024 https://bit.ly/3V7rOUQ

Dave Muoio, “The top 10 nonprofit health systems by 2023 operating revenue,” Fierce Healthcare, Jun 17, 2024 https://bit.ly/4b8GSHL

Aletha Adu, “Tory party CEO is director at cancer care firm benefiting from NHS waiting lists,” Guardian, Jun 14, 2024 https://bit.ly/3xcDPR3

Thom Hartmann, “Why are any of us paying for the scam that is Medicare Advantage?” Common Dreams, May 20, 2024 https://bit.ly/4csHtVU

Julie Appleby, “Biden team’s tightrope: Reining in rogue Obamacare agents without slowing enrollment,” KFF Health News/NPR, May 7, 2024 https://bit.ly/3K9kzXn and Rebecca Pifer, “Medicare Advantage sales middleman sues HHS over rule capping broker compensation,” Healthcare Dive, Jun 3, 2024 https://bit.ly/4cnKhDy

Susanna Vogel, “Court strikes down FTC’s latest attempt to block Novant-CHS deal,” Healthcare Dive, Jun 12, 2024 https://bit.ly/3Xrsvek and Dave Muoio, “Judge denies FTC’s preliminary bid to block Novant, CHS’ $320M hospital deal,” Fierce Healthcare, Jun 5, 2024 https://bit.ly/3XnphbQ

Josh Sisco, “Judge throws out FTC case against private equity firm in Texas anesthesia antitrust case,” Politico, May 14, 2024 https://bit.ly/3KlReJd

Rebecca Pifer, “CHS sues MultiPlan for allegedly colluding to lower provider reimbursement,” Healthcare Dive, May 10, 2024 https://bit.ly/4eqilAN

Boston Globe, “Getting a grip on health care costs,” [editorial], May 30, 2024 https://bit.ly/4cmccUi

Shahryar Rana, “How to change the rural health care crisis: immigrant doctors,” Dallas Morning News, May 21, 2024 https://bit.ly/3yT6KcY

Kavitha Chekuru, “Gaza’s stolen healers: Hundreds of Palestinian doctors disappeared into Israeli detention,” The Intercept, May 24, 2024 https://bit.ly/4e5tp5Y

See the full archive at www.nypan.org/single-payer-news and get my written digest sent to your inbox by writing me at tfrasca@yahoo.com