Final answer:
The statement in question is false. Health care spending does vary widely among American cities, but higher spending does not equate to better health outcomes for Medicare enrollees.
Step-by-step explanation:
The statement 'The Dartmouth Atlas research project finds that health care spending varied widely between different American cities in the early 2000s, and that Medicare enrollees in high-spending cities were a lot healthier as a result' is false. While the Dartmouth Atlas project did find that health care spending varied widely between different American cities, it did not find that Medicare enrollees in high-spending cities were necessarily healthier. In fact, spending more on health care does not always correlate with better health outcomes. The complexity of the health care system and the fee-for-service model may contribute to higher costs without commensurate health benefits. Increasing regulations in health care have not yet effectively controlled costs, and the United States faces the challenge of higher prices rather than higher usage.
Moreover, the project also found that Medicare enrollees in high-spending cities were, on average, healthier compared to those in low-spending cities. This could be due to better access to quality health care services, early detection of health issues, and better management of chronic conditions.