What Happens if Nothing Happens to Change U.S. Health Care?

Whether older Americans think the latest health care reform bill belongs on the “Do not resuscitate” list, or they still hope that it can be taken off life support and recover, few dispute one key point: Ignoring the growing problems of health care will only make it worse. And a new report issued Thursday that showed U.S. health care spending is on track to grow faster than the overall economy this decade dramatically underscores that point. Economists at the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services said in their report that without changes in the system medical, spending—and the number of uninsured Americans—will continue to grow. Today, the United States spends what amounts to about 17.3 percent of the economy on health care, and by 2019 nearly 20 cents of every dollar spent here will go to health care. … Back to Article