Governors and state legislatures have been taking action in 2019 to lower health care costs and promote affordable coverage options for their residents. We reviewed 2019 state legislation and executive actions, and highlight some of the boldest approaches to lower drug, provider, and health insurance costs. Please click here to read the report in its […]
Surprise Medical Billing Legislation: Issues for Congress to Consider
FACT SHEET Legislative solutions are needed to combat the rising cost of health care in the United States, which accounted for almost 18% of the GDP in 2017. One symptom of the problem, surprise medical bills, contributes to unpredictable, high out-of-pocket costs for consumers. Patients often encounter surprise medical bills when receiving emergency or ancillary […]
Primary Care: Rural and Urban Communities Face Significant Workforce Challenges
As American health care transitions toward value-based models, successful employers, plans, and health systems are finding strong primary care to be absolutely essential. The United States spends only 4-8% of health care dollars on primary care, compared to an average of approximately 12% among other industrialized countries1 – each of which spends substantially less overall on health care than the United States. To build an American health care system that delivers better care at a lower cost, primary care must become a national health policy priority.
Medicare at Risk? Exploring the Implications of Medicaid Per Capita Caps for Medicare and Its Beneficiaries
Today, the United States Congress is considering significant structural changes to the Medicaid program, including caps on the federal financial commitment to Medicaid commonly known as per capita caps or per capita allotments. This proposed change is advancing as part of the legislation aimed at repealing the Affordable Care Act. With attention and debate focused on repeal of the 2010 law, per capita caps’ impact on the 11 million Medicare beneficiaries who also receive Medicaid benefits has seen less attention and consideration than it otherwise might.
Care Coordination for High-Cost, High-Need Beneficiaries
Better care for these high-need individuals is an indispensable element of any serious effort to slow the growth of health care spending while improving quality.