Some interesting tidbits about us here why we shouldn't be shocked or surprised by our escalating health care costs:
Countries spending the most on health care
1. United States(2012)
> Health expenditure per capita(per person): $8,745
> Expenditure as a pct. of GDP:
16.9% (the highest)
> Pct. obese: 28.6% (the highest)
> Life expectancy: 78.7 years (8th lowest)
Another kick in the pants... friend of mine who works for the DOT was telling me another major factor in our crumbling infrastructure of roads and bridges is so many people now driving trucks/suvs, which of course then costs us higher taxes.
At the rate of Type I & II diabetes and obesity, my grand-kids most likely when they graduate from university, the cost of GDP in health care cost will be an astounding 22-25%