New North BTB Magazine annually uses state hospital association data to look at reported costs of area medical providers on a range of high volume medical services.  We know that the U.S. system costs about 30% more than the next highest, so you'd expect efforts would result in lowering costs.  Not so!  At least not overall.
     Of the seven major services reviewed, every one had an increase in average costs to 2013 from 2012.  Of a total of 78 provider data points, only 16 went down; 62 increased!