The high cost of U.S. health care

The cost of hip replacement surgery in the U.S. is up to four times higher than what's paid in Switzerland or France, while charges for cesarean section births were more triple the cost of the same procedure in New Zealand or Britain, according to a Commonwealth Fund report. Meanwhile, colonoscopies alone contribute more than $10 billion in annual costs. This report explores the drivers behind high costs in the U.S. using the colonoscopy example as a case study for understanding why 18% of U.S. gross domestic product goes to spending on health care. The New York Times (tiered subscription model)