According to researchers, “Lowering prices in the U.S. will need to start with private insurers and self-insured corporations.” (Photo: Shutterstock)

It doesn't seem to matter how many new health care regulations and policy initiatives, Americans continue to outspend their peers on health care.

Just like earlier 2003 research found, higher prices continue to the primary reason why the U.S. spends more on health care than any other country, according to a new study published in Health Affairs, “It's Still The Prices, Stupid: Why The US Spends So Much On Health Care and a tribute to Uwe Reinhardt” (the latter referring to one of the co-authors of the original study who recently died).

This is so despite the implementation of health policy reforms and the restructuring of health systems that have occurred in the U.S. and other industrialized countries since the 2003 article's publication, conclude the researchers, Gerard F. Anderson, a professor at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health in Baltimore; Peter Hussey, vice president and director of healthcare at the Boston-based RAND Corp.; and Varduhi Petrosyan, professor and dean in the Turpanjian School of Public Health at the American University of Armenia.