Health care spending on rise according to performance improvement Lean Six Sigma consulting firm.

Considering Americans also spend more on health care than any other country, it's clear to see how spending is going up, said David Silverstein, CEO of Breakthrough Management Group, Longmont, Colorado-based Six Sigma performance improvement consulting firm for the health care industry.

The increase in health care spending is not because of an increase in costs, but rather because people are seeking more specialized medical treatment, and they have the money to pay for it, Silverstein said.

Silverstein pointed to data suggesting that, over the past 30 years, visits to general and family practitioners have declined steadily while visits to specialists have increased markedly.

"We are choosing to pay more for specialists, and in return we receive the expertise and advanced procedures that only a specialist can provide for many ailments," he said.