Why Is Us Medicare So Expensive? 
Medicare beneficiaries are mostly older and sicker than the rest of the population . Primarily used by those age 65 and older , the cost of care , especially in the last 6 - 9 months of life is extremely high . The US does more to prolong life than any other country and this drives up the cost of the program . In addition to end of life care , US citizens have more chronic conditions than any other nation and spend more on medication . 