re: #535 Obdicut

The elderly (age 65 and over) made up around 13 percent
of the U.S. population in 2002, but they consumed 36
percent of total U.S. personal health care expenses. The
average health care expense in 2002 was $11,089 per year
for elderly people but only $3,352 per year for working-age
people (ages 19-64).5

The elderly population is more likely to have chronic conditions and therefore the greater expenses. In particular see Chart 2 of the pdf linked above.

As for the Singapore example, as per that previously linked article - that country has not implemented the kind of program that we have here in the US (Medicare/Medicaid), and are trying to figure out how to fund a system along those lines, but runs up against the very problems we have here.