At the highest level, there are two primary factors that can contribute to “bending the Medicare cost curve” below the projections of these government agencies: prices and quantity of services ...

5. The short-run is that period of time during which some inputs cannot be varied. 6. The slope of the short-run total cost curve equals the slope of the short-run variable cost curve at every output.

Alcoa has struggled to establish a more favorable position on the global cost curve for aluminum smelting. This is mainly because new, lower-cost capacity has come online in China and the Middle East.