Medical costs are one of the fastest rising components of the US CPI. With insurance premiums running out of control, many families can no longer afford effective coverage. So why is health care so expensive?

Doctors will tell you that it is litigation, excessive bureaucracy and paperwork and greedy HMO managements. In contrast medical salaries are rarely mentioned as a potential cause.

Well, there is a blog for every subject on the web, and there is even one just devoted to physician's salaries. It contains some amazing posts. For example, can can anyone resist reading a post entitled "the million dollar surgeon".

However, the most revealing post was called "physicians dominate top 50 highest paid list". According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, a staggering 9 out of the 10 highest paid jobs on the list were found in the health care industry. Here is the list of shame:

1. Surgeons -- $177,690.
2. Anesthesiologists -- $174,240.
3. Obstetricians and Gynecologists -- $171,810.
4. Orthodontists -- $163,410.
5. Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons -- $160,660.
6. Internists, General -- $156,550.
7. Psychiatrists -- $146,150.
8. Prosthodontists -- $146,080.
9. Family and General Practitioners -- $140,370.
10. Chief Executives -- $139,810.