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The Costliest Medical Procedures

By Catherine Arnst

The Costliest Medical Procedures

Senators John McCain (R-Ariz.) and Barack Obama (D-Ill.) have both delivered bold proposals to cover the 45 million Americans who are uninsured, but have been much less detailed about their plans to cut soaring health-care costs. Surveys have found that both consumers and corporations are most concerned about sky-high medical bills. PricewaterhouseCoopers is projecting a 9.9% climb in health-care costs this year, more than double the 4.2% inflation rate.

Part of the reason for the increase is the introduction of costly medical treatments, with no limits on who can have them. Treatment keeps getting pricier—a lot pricier—thanks to new, more expensive technologies and drugs. Scan this BusinessWeek.com slide show for a glimpse at why living longer comes with a high price tag.