Len Nichols on panel: Tackling Health Care Costs: Finding Common Ground
Presentations Monday, December 16th, 2013The event was sponsored by the nonpartisan Alliance for Health Reform and The Commonwealth Fund. Panelists talked about both long-term overall health care spending and spending on programs such as medicare. They also proposed solutions for slowing down spending on both. Watch C -Span video
Friday, December 13, 2013 - Alliance for Health Reform
Despite slower health care spending growth over the last few years, long-term forecasts for overall health spending – and for public programs like Medicare – signal continuing concern.
The idea behind numerous recent proposals is to find lasting solutions, and some areas of consensus are beginning to emerge.
Many proposals recommend paying for value instead of volume through such delivery models as patient-centered medical homes and accountable care organizations. Some encourage improvements in market competition, by instituting competitive bidding and increasing the availability of information. There is also some agreement on establishing spending targets.
Which proposals can garner support from various policymakers and stakeholders? How much money would these proposals save and what would be their effect on quality of care? What would it take to get the ball rolling on consensus proposals, and what are the challenges to widespread adoption?
