Source: The New York Times
Plenty of research has supported the notion that health care spending will increase with longer human life span, but recent studies suggest that technology is the real factor driving up health care costs.
The development of new (and better) technology in health care makes up at least two-thirds of the rise in costs, while the factor of age alone makes up a minuscule percentage.
While some technology has helped humans live longer, it has done so at an expensive price, such as with costly treatments for premature infants or cardiovascular disease.
Whether longer life spans impact the amount of money people are spending on health care depends on the quality of life during those years. If quality of life is low, studies conclude, then the individual will likely spend more on health care costs for medicines and treatments. But age alone does not increase health care costs.
Read full story at: The New York Times