The American healthcare system has a unique problem with paperwork.Te sheer number of participants-physicians,hospitals,clinics,insurance companies,patients--makes settling payments complicated,time-consuming and really expensive.The share of U.S.healthcare spending devoted to administrative costs is roughly three times what it is in other affluent countries.And it's a major reason the U.S.spends twice as much on healthcare.Some health clinics employ more clerks than care providers--not just to generate invoices but to send along the patient information insurers need to approve treatments,to dispute insurer decisions denying payment,to fix mistakes,to handle patients'questions,and on and on.For every I billion in revenue,the healthcare system employs the equivalent of 770 full-time people to settle the bills.That's almost eight times more than other industries.And doctors have to spend inordinate time dealing with red tape.Of course,if the U.S.were to magically switch to a single-payer healthcare system,these expenses would fall dramatically.The government would simply determine prices and write checks without dispute,as Medicare does for its direct beneficiaries.But such a change is neither realistic nor desirable in a country where half the population has employer-sponsored insurance.That said,it's still possible to trim administrative costs within the existing system.The best way to do so is for providers and insurers to standardize their billing practices and modernize their computer systems he federal government has long pushed for such efficiency.A 1996 law set some preliminary standards for the electronic processing of claims,payments and other transactions.But they weren't nearly enough,and insurers could still complicate invoices by requesting additional patient data.The HITECH Act of 2009 and the Affordable Care Act of 2010 gave providers further incentives to adopt electronic records and make them more uniform.Yet to a large extent,insurance companies continue to maintain distinct billing codes and torms,and providers still use separate computer systems for medical records and billing-making it im possible to automate claims processing.In this,healthcare stands apart from almost every other industry.Think of the way banks,for example,have standardized their operations to enable all customers to use the same ATMs and credit-card readers.The federal government needs to keep pushing for standardized electronic health systems,and also to change how healthcare prices are set.Bundled care and other alternatives to the fee-for-service model could greatly streamline billing.Patients have increasing cause to demand such change.With premiums,co-pays and deductibles rising,U.S.consumers now pay more for their health care than their employers do.Administrative inefficiency adds another layer of needless expense.Billing shouldn't have to be so complicated,or costly
有些诊所雇佣的行政人员比医护人员还要多,他们不仅要开发票还要负责发送保险公司需要用来审批治疗方案的病人信息,讨要拒付的医疗费用,弥补错误,处理病人疑问等等一系列的事情。这是一个复合句,主干为:Some health clinics employ more clerks than care providers;目的状语1.not Just to generate invoices;目的状语2 but to send along the patient information（insurers need to approve treatments））,括号里是省略了that的定语从句:Insurers need the patient information to approve treatments;目的状语3 to dispute insurer decisions denying payment（讨要拒付的医疗费）这里的dispute就是“为了…而争论”=讨要;目的状语4.to fix mistakes;目的状语5.to handle patients'questions,and on and on本句在翻译破折号后的内容时,增加了主语,“他们不仅要……”,使用了增译法。翻译的一个原则是译者不应该对原文的内容随意增减。不过因为英汉两种言语之间存在着巨大差异,在翻译实践时,为了展现原文要表达的意思,可以增加内容。例句:Don’t leave behind rubbish,including food and plastic bottles如果译成“（在景区）不要留下废物包含食物和塑料瓶”明显很不合理。应该增译为:不要留下废物—食物废物和塑料瓶。
