<div dir="ltr"><div>I'm not sure if this is actually relevant, as I was having trouble understanding this, but it seems related to the discussion at hand. I've always struggled to understand CPIs. </div><div><br></div>I was reading the US 2010 Census data today (I'm writing a rather long reply to another post). In Section 3, Table 142 you'll find the Consumer Price Index of Medical Care. "100" is calibrated to represent the prices 1982-1984. <div><br></div><div>As of 1980, Prices for physicians were 77, Dental was 79, hospital was 70, Perscriptions were 73. </div><div><br></div><div>In 1990 they were 161, 156, 168, 182.</div><div>in 2000 they were 245, 259, 317, 285.</div><div>In 2010 they were 331, 399, 608, 408.</div><div><br></div><div>Are these already adjusted for inflation? Even if they are, it's still a bit shocking to see the money spent on hospital stays to increase 9x over the period 1980 to 2010. Though perhaps it is a function of changing usage of hospitals and the medical system? Such as going to the doctor for every little cold, use of ER for minor health problems, mending teeth rather than doing extractions (as well as increased cosmetic dentistry), and an increasing number of new prescription drugs.</div><div><br></div><div>Perhaps I am misunderstanding what I am reading?</div><div><br></div><div>(For reference, $100 in 1983, was the equivalent of $222 in 2010.)</div><div><br></div></div><div class="gmail_extra"><br><div class="gmail_quote">On Fri, Aug 24, 2018 at 4:26 PM, William Flynn Wallace <span dir="ltr"><<a href="mailto:foozler83@gmail.com" target="_blank">foozler83@gmail.com</a>></span> wrote:<br><blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin:0 0 0 .8ex;border-left:1px #ccc solid;padding-left:1ex"><div dir="ltr"><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family:comic sans ms,sans-serif;font-size:small;color:#000000"><br></div><div class="gmail_extra"><br><div class="gmail_quote"><div><div class="h5">On Fri, Aug 24, 2018 at 1:25 PM, SR Ballard <span dir="ltr"><<a href="mailto:sen.otaku@gmail.com" target="_blank">sen.otaku@gmail.com</a>></span> wrote:<br><blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin:0 0 0 .8ex;border-left:1px #ccc solid;padding-left:1ex"><div dir="ltr"><div class="gmail_extra"><div class="gmail_quote"><span><blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin:0 0 0 .8ex;border-left:1px #ccc solid;padding-left:1ex">we spend higher percentages of our GDP on our medical systems</blockquote><div><br></div></span><div>1. A bag of saline can cost $600 or more in US</div><div>2. I was charged $750,000+ for 30 days in the hospital (I did not require any surgery or imaging)</div><div>3. Lack of preventative care</div><div>4. Lack of quick access to medical doctors do to lack of fund -- use of ER when GP visit is more appropriate</div><div>5. Poor food quality</div><div>6. Poor nutrition guidelines</div><div>7. Lack of exercise (US uses cars for everything)</div><div>8. The combination of obesity and diabetis </div></div></div></div></blockquote><div><br></div></div></div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family:"comic sans ms",sans-serif;font-size:small;color:rgb(0,0,0)">I have read and been educated and informed by reading books and articles by Atul Gawande. If you don't know him, you should. He deals with some of the very inequalities in costs and prices you list above. He is a NYC surgeon. bill w</div><span class=""><blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin:0 0 0 .8ex;border-left:1px #ccc solid;padding-left:1ex"><div dir="ltr"><div class="gmail_extra"><div class="gmail_quote"><div><br></div></div></div></div>
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