Useful Resources
Health Care Costs: Higher and Higher
January 25, 2010
Health care costs have been increasing in the United States for many years at a rate greater than inflation. In 2008, national health spending rose to $2.3 trillion for the first time, or nearly $7,700 per person, according to the Kaiser Family Foundation. Containing health costs is one of the largest policy challenges facing the nation. Conservatives and liberals agree that costs must be contained, but they don't agree on how.
The leading conservative approach is to let market forces drive costs down by encouraging consumers to choose high-deductible health plans. Many people on the left want to eliminate private insurance companies and adopt a single-payer government system, which would cut administrative costs. Cutting costs by reducing medical errors and improving quality are strategies with support from both the left and the right. Updated March 2010.
Resource Links
Blogs
Written by Jane Sarasoh-Kahn, a health economist.
An informative, nonpartisan health blog written by Robert Laszewski, a longtime observer of U.S. health policy.
Guidance for Consumers
AARP has a section of its Web site devoted to consumer information on health insurance and spending.
Advocacy
The national trade organization for health insurance plans, which often weighs in on proposals to regulate or change the insurance industry.
A liberal think tank that issues frequent reports about health policy and spending.
Another conservative think tank that advocates for a smaller government role and promotes market reforms (in particular, high-deductible health plans and Health Savings Accounts).
A conservative think tank that advocates against big government and promotes market solutions to health care issues.
Public Policy
SSA issues periodic reports from the Medicare Trust Fund Board of Trustees.
This independent agency serves as a "congressional watchdog" to monitor how the federal government spends taxpayer dollars and issues frequent reports on health care spending.
This arm of Congress provides independent, nonpartisan research on numerous issues, including health care spending.
Statistics, Trends and Research
This foundation researches many issues relating to health care, including comparisons of U.S. health spending growth with that of other nations.
Researchers at the Dartmouth School of Medicine analyze Medicare data to detect hospital admission and health spending trends. Policy makers often cite the research in discussions on curbing health spending.
This progressive-leaning think tank published numerous reports on health care policy and spending.
This nonpartisan think tank publishes many studies on health care costs. It is particularly well known for its research on how health information technology can lower health spending.
This leading health journal publishes some of the most important and relevant research by leading economists and academics on U.S. health spending.
This federal government site contains a wealth of information on health spending.
Statistics, Statistics, Trends and Research
This site includes statistics on health spending in countries around the world.
Understanding Health Care Costs
This other Web site run by the Kaiser Family Foundation devotes a section to explaining health spending.
The nonpartisan health care research foundation's "Primer on U.S. Health Spending" is very useful. Another section of the Web site publicizes the results of the foundation's annual survey on the cost of health insurance.
