It's The Prices, Stupid

Uwe Reinhardt, one of the foremost economists focusing on US healthcare, points out that the reason that the US spends so much on healthcare per capita compared to other countries is not because US citizens use more healthcare resources (in fact, it's the opposite), but rather because the price of healthcare in the US is far higher than in other countries.

This article is worth reading and opening the numerous links if you've ever wondered why it's so hard to find out how much a medical visit, test or procedure is going to cost you before it's done.  Gotta agree: our healthcare system is like getting a pair of pants at two different stores with prices that are 10-fold different.  Stores that don't have price tags, that is.