US Health Care Costs Up 143 Percent From 25 Years Ago

Experts said the increase in health care costs is due to a combination of hospital consolidations, growing prescription drug prices, and an aging population.

Doctors perform open-heart surgery on a young patient at Children's Hospital in Los Angeles on March 24, 2008. Bob Riha, Jr./Children's Hospital Los Angeles via Getty Images

Medical care in the monthly consumer price index (CPI) report has risen by 143 percent since January 2000, according to data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Medical care commodities—prescription drugs, over-the-counter medicines, and medical equipment and supplies—have increased by 76 percent in the past 25 years.

“The tragic news of UnitedHealthcare’s CEO has opened a lot of discussion about the very nasty subject of health care costs and quality of service,” Mark Malek, chief investment officer at Siebert Financial, told The Epoch Times in an email.