"Soon after she had her tonsils removed to treat sleep apnea, a common breathing disorder, the eighth grader bled uncontrollably from her nose and mouth and went into cardiac arrest, cutting off the oxygen supply to her brain."

I would argue that sleep apnea is not a common breathing disorder for a 13 year old.  She should have never had to have this surgery. 

But yes, we waste a lot of money in this country on unnecessary tests, procedures and surgeries, because our medical system is a fee for service system.