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Are the high costs of health care in the U.S. worth it?
Despite spending more on health care than any other country, the U.S. has health outcomes that are not much better—and in many cases, are worse—than other countries. In a May 20, 2019 New York Times article, Austin Frakt,…
Poll: Americans want government action on health care pricing
A new poll from Politico and Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health found that Americans are focused less on health care costs and the idea that overuse is driving up health care spending and more on the…
Unpaid medical bills leading to liens on homes
Collection agencies are placing liens on the homes of people who have unpaid medical bills in Colorado, Nevada, New Hampshire, Ohio, Oklahoma, and Vermont, according to an investigative report from NBC News. Many of the medical bills arrive…
Hospital mergers may not be best for the patient
Consolidation of hospitals and mergers between health systems may result in lower quality care, according to experts. In a February 11, 2019 New York Times article, Austin Frakt, adjunct associate professor at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public…
Do wealthier people buy more prescription drugs?
More affluent patients tend to buy prescription drugs for lifestyle problems, such as erectile dysfunction and baldness, more frequently when compared with less affluent patients, according to new research from GoodRx, a company that tracks prescription drug prices.…
Health improves for vulnerable populations when out-of-pocket costs are lower
In a review of 17 studies from low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), researchers have found that patient outcomes improved, especially for children and low-income groups, when out-of-pocket medical expenses were reduced. The authors said the findings highlight the…
Medicare’s bundled payment experiment for joint replacements shows moderate savings
Medicare’s randomized trial of a new bundled payment model for hip and knee replacement surgeries led to $812 in savings per procedure, or a 3.1% reduction in costs.
Why did U.S. drug costs skyrocket in the 1990s?
Drug spending in the U.S. tripled between 1997 and 2007, slowed down until about 2013, then started rising again. Americans now pay substantially more for their drugs than their counterparts in other wealthy nations. The main reason for…
Financial hardships loom large for the seriously ill, even with insurance
A survey of some of the most seriously ill people in the U.S. showed that even those with insurance can often face financial ruin from health care costs. The survey, led by Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public…
Poll: Drug/opioid abuse and economic concerns cited as biggest problems facing rural communities
According to a new poll, rural Americans cite drug/opioid abuse as the biggest problem facing their local community (25%), followed by economic concerns (21%).
