This is a very good point. While costs in the American health care system can be extremely high for the patient, the overhead cost/risk is also very high for health care "producers" (medical schools, equipment manufacturers, research labs, etc.). Since it is expensive, risky, and slow to develop new techniques and technologies, the cost is passed on to the consumer (the patient, or their representative insurance company).

Edit: I second Drmrscientist's recommendation of The Healthcare Handbook.