Unnecessary care such as the overuse of antibiotics and lab tests to protect against malpractice exposure makes up 37 percent of healthcare waste or $200 to $300 billion a year.
Fraud makes up 22 percent of healthcare waste, or up to $200 billion a year in fraudulent Medicare claims, kickbacks for referrals for unnecessary services and other scams.
Administrative inefficiency and redundant paperwork account for 18 percent of healthcare waste.
Medical mistakes account for $50 billion to $100 billion in unnecessary spending each year, or 11 percent of the total.
Preventable conditions such as uncontrolled diabetes cost $30 billion to $50 billion a year.