Where did my money go?

I was listening to NPR on the radio on my way to work today as I usually do. There was a fascinating though not an earth shattering discussion on health care issues facing America. While neither the subject nor the ideas were refreshingly new, my attention was drawn to a question one caller posed. She said (and there was no disagreement from the panel experts so it must be generally true) that over the last few years (maybe decades), there have been 2 consistent trends. Costs of insurance premiums (charged to consumers) have been going up. At the same time, benefits paid out (to doctors and other health care practitioners) have been going down. So where is the money going? Somewhat of a rhetoric question if you study the health care value chain and forces in play but still makes you wonder ...

Obviously the health care practitioners have to be in the game by raising their charges - which causes the insurance premiums to go up even more and this vicious circle goes on. How do we ever get out of this mess? Any thoughts anyone?

As for me, I take refuge in Einstein's brilliant observation: "The significant problems we face in life cannot be solved by the same level of thinking that created them."

Until the next quantum leap in thinking, adieu.