The Peterson Foundation stated that the U.S. devotes more of its national income
to healthcare than any other country. Between 2010 and 2019 there was an 8.9%
gross domestic spending annually which was a rise from 16.3% to 17% (PGPF).
With $11,100 being spent per person on healthcare in 2019 vs the second highest
spending country of Switzerland which spent $7,700. The Commonwealth Fund
stated that within the country there was 27.5% of the population without health
insurance in 2018, with the indoctrination of Obama care there were 20 million
Americans that gained health insurance coverage, this also helped patients with
preexisting conditions gain coverage without higher cost. The American progress
also states that they assisted with the cost to lower income families, women
coverage cost was the same as men, which before was 1.5 times more. Younger
adults and children have greater access to care, improvements of access to
prescription drugs, lower cost to senior citizens and protection to disabled people
were enhanced (Progress).4
4444444444Healthcare cost is based on utilization, the number of services used, and the
price being charged per service, an increase in either the price or quantity of
services used would increase healthcare cost. The U.S. even with having shorter
hospital stays, surgeries like knee replacement and angioplasty when compared to
other countries exceed the cost for each, according to Kaiser Health system. They
also discussed that possible reasons could be from consolidation of hospitals, this
can mean no competition, which results in price gauging, and the inefficiencies of
our healthcare systems. Duplication of care, lack of value-based care, product
waste, the concept of quantity over quality, all these have made the cost of
healthcare high.4
With the higher cost for healthcare, the quality of life in healthcare outcomes are
sadly no better than other developed countries. We in the U.S. have an opposite
effect, in that we perform worse in some cases like infant mortality, life
expectancy, and diabetes that goes unmanaged, and other chronic health
conditions. 30% of the healthcare cost and spending go towards overpriced,
wasteful, and ineffective services. Changing the way, the federal government pays
for healthcare to ensure that low-income families have high quality of care. With
small changes pay-for-performance initiatives would improve care and lower cost.4
4444444444Currently the cost of healthcare isn’t transparent, we truly don’t know what
the average cost of a procedure is going to be at one facility vs. another.44Making
the cost of healthcare more visible to the patients would mean that they are able to
make more informed decisions on what care they should receive. If patients have
higher out of pocket cost for their care, those who live in lower income
communities would seek the care that they need. They would live healthier
lifestyles and the number of chronic conditions in these low-income communities
would decrease.4
4444444444Reducing what the government pays for would make a decrease in
healthcare spending. Medicare and Medicaid pay for medication that have not been
fully proven to have a high positive patient improvement result. These medications
hit the shelves with little clinical trial that claim to be beneficial for patients with
chronic issues, they are approved and prescribed to patients. This causes patients to
use a medication that has little to no effect on them. With this they would possibly
be placed on multiple medications and have limited chance of improving from
their condition. Value based care is going to have to be the deciding factor for all
care, this would motivate the providers in to improving care.4
44444The Peter G. Peterson Foundation also stated that with combining Medicare’s
Part A with Part B ambulatory services in would reduce cost. Making Medicare
into a premium based program, which would mean beneficiaries would purchase
insurance through health insurance exchanges and making state block grants from
converting Medicaid. Shorter hospital stays can lower the cost, once it doesn’t
have any change in health effectiveness, with this change it could improve patient
quality of care and satisfaction. The patient would have more independence and
control of their care and would cost the treatment facilities less.4
4
4
References:
Calsyn, M., & Gee, E. (2021, November 2).410 ways the ACA has improved health
care in the past decade. Center for American Progress. Retrieved July 5,
2022, from https://www.americanprogress.org/article/10-ways-aca-improved-
health-care-past-decade/4
Finding Solutions: Healthcare. Peter G. Peterson Foundation.
(n.d.).4https://www.pgpf.org/finding-solutions/healthcare.4
Peterson, P. (2020, July 14).4How does the U.S. healthcare system compare to
other countries?4Peter G. Peterson Foundation. Retrieved July 4, 2022, from
https://www.pgpf.org/blog/2020/07/how-does-the-us-healthcare-system-
compare-to-other-countries4
Tikkanen, R., Osborn, R., Osborn, R., Mossialos, E., Djordjevic, A., & Wharton,
G. A. (2020, June 5).4United States. Home. Retrieved July 5, 2022, from
https://www.commonwealthfund.org/international-health-policy-center/
countries/united-states4
