Exploitation of the medical care dollar.

Review of and commentary on health care expenditures in the United States are presented. The growth of medical expenditures over recent years is chronicled, and reasons for the upsurge are given. Aspects of good health are enumerated, and the economics of the medical care industry are explained. Health insurance in general, and national health insurance in particular, are reviewed. Methods of curtailing unnecessary use of expensive medical care need to be aimed at two targets: (1) the extensive supply of goods and services that continues to grow independently of consumer demand, and (2) the uninformed status of consumers who somewhat blindly use the questionably effective services offered by physicians and hospitals.