Originally Posted by lynxpilot

Litigation is not the only cause for climbing medical costs. I'd guess it is probably not even the largest. There are two overwhelming factors which increase costs out of control that are obvious and nobody seems to notice. The first is free medical care, since laws required ER's to provide care on demand regardless of financial responsibility. Combined with illegal immigration, it makes for a nightmare. Secondly, the supposed technology being introduced in the medical industry (imaging and pharmaceuticals are the biggest) has no end of expense and the end product must be paid for. Since everybody insists on the latest and greatest care available, and since our lives are more valuable than any expense, there is no limit to the expense.