Wasted: Health care spends like a drunk sailor

Impassioned plea for action.

The biggest problem with waste in health care: it’s easy to talk about, much harder to get rid of.

And the pertinent question at this point is this: did this problem arise because of government involvement or despite it?  And the even more prescient brainteaser: will this problem be more likely solved with more government intervention or less?

Finally, (and this post is not meant as an endorsement of a particular health care payment philosophy) can a market-based health care economy bring about the needed reform or will it take a czar of American health care?

Oh, and the other thing about waste: that money is someone’s income or an organization’s bottom line.  Expect actions to reduce it to be battle-like.  We’ve definitely got some work to do.