Hcs 440 - Health Care Spending

Health Care Spending

Wendy Witt

HCS/440

June 10, 2013

Dr. Eric Oestmann

Americans pays more on health care that any other country and number one at living in poor health.  I believe hospitals big or small, practicing physicians, specialty physicals, and other health care facility simply charge outrageous prices. There is a wide range of price fluctuations between health care facilities from treatment of choice lung disease at $100,000 down to $1.50 for a generic Tylenol pill. Health care facilities are out of control by charging well beyond what they need to make a reasonable profit.

According to "The U.S. Is Paying Too Much For Health Care And Receiving Too Little" (2013), “In 2013, the U.S. will spend as much as $2.8 trillion on healthcare, which is $750 billion more than the country would if it spent the same per capita as other developed nations.” (para. 2) Medicare and Medicaid insurance programs will spend $800 billion, and private health insurance companies and uninsured individuals will spend roughly $2 trillion for health care. Most of this money is spent wastefully on defensive medicine and care spent on overweight related health issues, obesity, unnecessary hospitalizations, redundant tests, unproven treatments, bad excessive end-of-life care.

Defensive medicine occurs when physicians ordering tests not based on the need but rather based on liability, and the physicians increasing his or her income. Physicians order unnecessary tests to help avoid the chance of a malpractice suit.  

Several uninsured individuals are using emergency rooms to receive his or her primary care. This waste approximately $14 billion every year. Going to a regular primary care opgysican for strep throat averages cost of $65 - $70 whereas going to the emergency room to be treated for strep throat is $600-$800.

New technology is a big helping doctors diagnose and treat patients accurately and efficiently. New technology also plays a huge role in disease prevention but new technology increases health care spending. Physicians and patients insist on having treated with the newest treatment methods regardless of the drastic price increase for newer treatments.

The aging population in the Unites steals puts a huge strain on federal programs such as Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid. With the large growth of the aging population theses federal programs must deliver quality care efficiently.

Health care pricing is out of control. When competing the United States pricing against Canada and France I, was shocked. For instance, the price for delivery a baby is 50% higher thank in France or Canada. The price for a caesarean section so 30% higher in France and 50% higher than in Canada. Knee replacement surgery is 20% higher in the United States than in France and 50% than in Canada. Pharmaceutical pricing is 60% higher in the United States than five other European contrues. The difference in price is significantly higher in the United States, so much higher it is downright ridiculous and embarrassing.