Developments in medical care costs

High and spiraling costs remain a key issue in the ongoing debate over health care in the United States, and will continue to be driving force behind changes in medical care delivery. As the share of the nation's economic resources devoted to health care keeps rising, resistance against these higher costs is increasing among all sectors involved--business, households and government. The interaction of this resistance with health care goals, such as the availability of quality care, will play a major role in the future direction of the health care system in the United States.