Health Care Spending Disparities Stir a Fight
As part of the larger effort to overhaul health care, lawmakers are trying to address the problem that intrigues Mr. Obama so much — the huge geographic variations in Medicare spending per beneficiary. Two decades of research suggests that the higher spending does not produce better results for patients but may be evidence of inefficiency. Full Story »
Posted by Derek Hawkins
Other potential reasons for disparate medicare costs: people without health care insurance delay procedures until they are under medicare; some country outposts don't have fancy equipment and go with poorer dianoses; city livers may be exposed to more toxins.