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The Real Reason We Pay So Much for Healthcare
A lengthy New York Times report yesterday detailed just how much more Americans pay for medical services than people in other countries. Often a lot more: almost twice what the Swiss pay for a colonoscopy, three and a half times more than the Dutch for an MRI and five times more than Spaniards for a hip replacement, according to the International Federation of Health Plans.
The high per-unit price of medical services in this country is an open secret, well documented in the health-policy world but largely ignored in the political debate. Rather than rail against high prices, Americans should rail against this: The fixes for those higher prices are clear enough, yet they get almost no consideration from policymakers.
The rash of recent proposals to slow health-care spending have focused on reducing the use of health-care services or shifting those costs to beneficiaries, rather than bringing down per-unit costs. Take the Bowles-Simpson report from December 2010: The largest proposed Medicare savings came from asking the elderly to pay more for their care. Other reports take a similar approach.
Read the full story here: http://bloom.bg/13A1P75
Source: Bloomberg News
Breast Cancer Outcomes Improved in States With Medicaid Expansion
October 24th 2024Medicaid expansion is associated with improved care and increased survival rates for patients with certain breast cancers, but future studies should focus on whether Medicaid expansion mitigates the disparities between Black and non-White patients.
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Bridging the Vaccination Gap: Insights on Global Immunization Challenges
July 30th 2024On this episode of Managed Care Cast, we speak with Jeffery A. Goad, PharmD, MPH, 2024-2025 president of the National Foundation for Infectious Diseases, on the recent report from the World Health Organization and UNICEF on public immunization rates, with national and global health implications.
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Double Trouble: High-Deductible Plans Raise Maternity Care Costs Across 2 Calendar Years
June 27th 2024On this episode of Managed Care Cast, we're talking with the author of a study published in the June 2024 issue of The American Journal of Managed Care® about how annual high-deductible insurance plans increase maternity care costs when pregnancies cross 2 calendar years.
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