Report: 5% of patients account for half of health care spending

But our system is the best in the world and shouldn't be changed at all. And so forth...

 

I'd expect similar stats for most types of insurance, no?

The issue's complex, but not unique to the US.

 

Same thing that happens to a pizza or burger chain when they get too big; skimp on service and/or quality, and start serving stuff that has nothing to do with the original product (life preservation): like gastric bypass or fertility drugs.

 

•Sixty percent were women
•Eighty percent were white

Spoiler

 

Eh....it's not just about the system. It's more about the American fat lifestyle.

 

http://www.snopes.com/politics/immigration/parkland.asp

 

Yep this is what cracks me up when Republicans start railing about "welfare."

Medicaid is the largest cost component of "welfare" and the largest cost to Medicaid is elderly whites in long term care. These are dual eligible or Medi-Medi patients who use both Medicare and Medicaid and are unbelievably expensive.

Sure in terms of population there are more children and cadillac mothers or whatever the lingo is these days than the elderly but their costs are nowhere near as much.

I would love to see Newt go walk into one of these long term facilities and start telling the old folks off for not saving enough money and still being on welfare.