FYI in 2010 Norway had the second highest cost of healthcare per person which was still 40% less than the US. Looks like Norway has created a very streamlined way of billing people which saves times and money. This is the exact opposite of the US where even billing our government payer is a very convoluted process costing the service providers a lot of time and money. For example if the US went to a single payer system tomorrow without fixing the coding/billing part as well as some of the other very high expenses of healthcare the system would implode.
Yes, we spend a lot on healthcare, but we also get a lot for our money:
-12 months 100% paid sick leave
-59 weeks parental leave at 80 % salary
-40 weeks training for parents of disabled children, with 100 % salary
-nearly all elderly get some sort of help; regular visits from a nurse, assisted living facilities, nursing home, etc
-maximum $300 co-pay for medicine/doctor visits/hospital stays/transport, and $250 co-pay for physical therapy (including therapy travels to warmer climates)
-free sign language interpretor services anytime, anywhere (have to pay for travel and hotel if we bring them abroad om holiday, but not if we are travelling for work/study)
-decent care for disabled, including help in the home or weekend stays at care centers to give parents some time off
-if you care for someone that is disabled, you can get a monthly stipend ranging from $150/month, up to $2000 if it equals full time work.
-if your illness/disability causes you to have higher expenses than normal (more clothes washing, batteries for hearing aids, special food...), you'll get a monthly stipend.
-if you need a wheel chair accessable house or car, you can get parts of the cost covered. Normally the additional cost compared to a "normal" house/car, or money that covers the building costs.
-transport costs are sometimes extremely high. Bringing people in from remote mountain areas with helicopter, or having a speed boat with medical personell at standby in an archipelago, can be a large part of the healthcare budget in some regions.
etc.
What we don't spend money on:
-Fancy rooms, or even single rooms, at hospitals.
-Good food at the hospitals or nursing homes.
-High salaries
-Enough people (I know the statistics say we have many nurses and doctors per person, but in real life they have very stressful work)
-Most elective surgeries
-Fast tracks (if someone else has a greater need, or your condition might get better if you wait it out, you get placed at the back of the line)
Comparisons between so different systems are difficult, but based on what you are discussing, it does sound like there is a savings potential in the US system.