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Healthcare Cost Opinion Editorial
Name
December 2nd, 2021
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Healthcare Cost Opinion Editorial
I have always wondered why healthcare expenditure and cost keeps sky rocketing each
day. The United States spends far more on healthcare than any other countries that are
developed. The cost is expected to grow significantly but will deliver no better and in some
cases, worse health outcomes. With the country's national healthcare expenditure (NHE)
expected to reach $6.2 trillion by 2028, public policy experts, government officials, healthcare-
sector leaders, business executives and ordinary citizens are concerned about the country's ability
to provide healthcare services that are of acceptable quality and equity.
Even though the country devotes substantial resources to healthcare, it does poorly in
categories such as health outcomes and health coverage (Papanicolas et al., 2018). In the United
States, high healthcare expenses without equivalent improvements in population health are a
powerful motivator for healthcare reform. Compared to high-income countries, the United States
has continuously had the worst population health results. For example, the average life
expectancy in the United States is 78.8 years, but the average life expectancy among the eleven
highest-income countries is 81.7 years (Papanicolas et al., 2018).
Healthcare cost has risen dramatically due to the Covid-19 pandemic, as demand for
healthcare services has increased. Even though demand for healthcare services has surged, the
healthcare system is experiencing delays or cancellations. People with new and pre-existing
medical and behavioral disorders spend roughly 300 percent more on healthcare due to limited
access to primary care, medical consequences and difficulty managing disease (Dieleman et al.,
2017).
Senators Patty Murray and Lamar Alexander introduced the S. 1895: Lower Health
Care Prices Act in June 2019 to address growing healthcare costs. This bipartisan bill includes 54
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different suggestions from 36 Democrats and 29 Republicans in the Senate. Senator Alexander
argued that families spend a significant amount of money on healthcare. According to research,
the United States spends around 3.2 trillion on healthcare, with a household spending about
$10,000 per capita per year on healthcare, compared to $705 per person in 2000. Insurance
premiums are not included in the current out-of-pocket expense (Himmelstein et al., 2020).
Unfortunately, due to the complexity of medical bills, many people are unaware of what they are
paying for. The law addresses the rapid and significant rise in prescription prices, eliminates
unexpected healthcare bills and improves transparency. It also aspires to improve public health
by authorizing national campaigns to raise awareness about vaccination safety, developing
evidence-based obesity prevention initiatives and establishing a grant program to train healthcare
personnel on unconscious prejudice and discrimination (Himmelstein et al., 2020).
Opponents of the bill argue that, while the measure's goal is to protect patients from
unexpected medical bills and high healthcare costs, it does so by imposing a rate on them.
Legislators opposed to the bill's passage fear that it could have unexpected repercussions, such as
preventing patients from receiving high quality and effective care only available at teaching
hospitals. Americans must have access to high-quality care services that are well coordinated
within a robust public health system to achieve optimal health as a population or as individuals.
Affordability of care is a critical component of high-quality care (Biener et al., 2019). When
healthcare organizations effectively manage chronic diseases and implement preventative
treatments, they can provide high-quality care based on cultural competence, funding, workforce,
emergency readiness, quality and information technology (Biener et al., 2019). Healthcare
consumers are scared away by high healthcare expenditures and unexpected medical bills. As a
result, people opt to put their health on hold to meet basic demands like food and shelter.
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Conclusion
The United States spends a more substantial proportion of its financial resources on
healthcare than any other high-income country. I have an integral role as a practicing nurse in
sustaining the financing of healthcare concerns through integrated activities with policymakers,
legislators, and administrators. Legislators have passed several bills in an attempt to cut
healthcare costs and improve outcomes. The issue, however, continues to exist. To pinpoint what
is causing rising healthcare costs, a root cause analysis should be carried out (Himmelstein et al.,
2020). Several signs of the problem have been linked to the situation, including high drug
prescription costs and the payment system. Lower Health Care Expenditures Act (S. 1895) seeks
to address both the cause and the symptoms of rising healthcare costs. I therefore urge all nurses
out there to actively take part in advocacy and policy legislation geared towards reduction of
healthcare cost. Through can be achieved through close collaboration with healthcare policy
makers and politicians.
References
Biener, A. I., Decker, S. L., & Rohde, F. (2019). Source of increased health care spending in the
United States. Jama, 321(12), 1147-1147.https:// doi:10.1001/jama.2019.0679
Dieleman, J. L., Squires, E., Bui, A. L., Campbell, M., Chapin, A., Hamavid, H., Horst, C., Li,
Z., Matyasz, T., Reynolds, A., Sadat, N., Schneider, M. T., & Murray, C. (2017).
Factors Associated With Increases in US Health Care Spending, 1996-
2013.DJAMA,D318(17), 1668–1678. https://doi.org/10.1001/jama.2017.15927
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Himmelstein, D. U., Campbell, T., & Woolhandler, S. (2020). Health Care Administrative Costs
in the United States and Canada, 2017.DAnnals of internal medicine,D172(2), 134–
142. https://doi.org/10.7326/M19-2818
Papanicolas, I., Woskie, L. R., & Jha, A. K. (2018). Health care spending in the United States
and other high-income countries. Jama, 319(10), 1024-1039.https://
doi:10.1001/jama.2018.1150
