Getting to the bottom of your health care costs

Did you know: Medical errors cost the United States $19.5 billion in 2008?  

Medical errors and the problems they cause cost the U.S. economy $19.5 billion in 2008, said the Society of Actuaries in its June 2010 study, The Economic Measurement of Medical Errors. Bed sores - considered to be the result of an error - produced the largest annual error cost at almost $3.9 billion, followed by post-op infections at $3.7 billion, device complications at $1.1 billion, complications from failed spinal surgery at $1.1 billion and hemorrhages at $960 million. The study is based on insurance claims data. The study was conducted by Milliman, an actuarial and consulting firm.