Tip 209- Cost of Treating Different Diseases

We talk a lot about deductibles and premiums in these Tips. Both keep going up! But, where do our health care dollars actually go?

I came across a ten year study that compares growth of dollars spent in the U.S. by disease category.

In 2010, we spent the most on diseases of the circulatory system and heart; $234 billion dollars.

Would you guess that cancers and tumors were next? You’d be wrong; the 2010 total was $116 billion.

Actually, spending for “Ill-Defined Conditions” was second at $207 billion. That includes “treatment of minor conditions such as colds, flu and allergies, check-ups, follow-up visits and preventive care.” And, this was also the fastest growing category as measured by the number of treated cases.

There are five very interesting charts at this link. Take a look for yourself. Until these trends are reversed, don’t expect your premiums to go down!