This just in from FierceHealthcare, based on a study in JAMA:

“{R}esearchers from the Harvard T.H. Chan School found that the notions that the U.S. spends money on too many doctor visits, hospitalizations, procedures and specialists, and spends too little on social services that could mitigate healthcare needs—may be wrong. Instead, they found that prices of labor and goods, including pharmaceuticals and devices, and administrative costs appear to be the main drivers of the differences in spending.”

“{T}he U.S. spends more on administrative costs, such as planning, regulating and managing health systems and services compared with other countries.  And per capita spending for pharmaceuticals was $1,443 in the U.S., compared with a range of $466 to $939 in other nations. The U.S. also pays higher salaries for doctors. The average salary for a general practice physician in the U.S. was $218,173, while in other countries the salary range was $86,607-$154,126.”

To read the study in JAMA, please hit this link.

To read more, please hit this link.