Tarwater narrowed his response down to three reasons:

1. Technology is advancing which allows us to do things quickly, safely and more easily but these innovations can also can be more expensive. This also applies to pharma not just medical devices. Research and development is astronomically expensive.

2. We are also doing better job of rescuing people from themselves. But it costs more money to keep people alive and well. When utilization goes up so do costs.

3. An overall lack of real prevention programs.

Seligson also points out that the new law doesn’t require patients to go to the doctor. Self-inflicted chronic disease drives many unnecessary health care costs

Garmon-Brown also mentioned that end of life costs are required because our culture expects providers to snatch people from the jaws of death. Television often gives patients an unrealistic expectation of what their providers are able to do. Sometimes it is so clear what we are doing is futile but we all are not having the conversations ahead of time that are necessary to keep these costs down.