Healthcare coverage for 150 million workers, the budget of the Defense Department, or the 2008 bank bailout, the amount of money the US healthcare system wastes each year. What do all these things have in common? They all cost $750 billion dollars. A recent study about the efficiency of the healthcare system in the US revealed that they are throwing away $750 billion dollars each year. This money is wasted by ordering the wrong tests, poor preventative care and excess administrative costs, among others. These things drive up the costs for the consumers, which makes if difficult for many to afford health care.To make matters even worse, the quality of healthcare has also decreased, as the report states that 75,000 human lives could have been saved in 2005. In the midst of all the election coverage, this is something that should be addressed by both presidential nominees, because as our nation faces the largest deficit ever seen, $750 billion saved could make a big difference in the lives of Americans.

From the New York Times Well blog: