Healthcare Costs Spike Again by Jeanne Sahadi, CNN/Money:
The premium growth rate this year – 9.2 percent – outpaced by miles both the growth in wages (2.7 percent) and inflation (3.5 percent)
…
since 2000 premiums for family coverage have gone up 73 percent. During the same period, wages rose just 15 percent.
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since 2000 premiums for family coverage have gone up 73 percent. During the same period, wages rose just 15 percent.
This is not sustainable. I feel like Brad Setser talking about the USA trade deficiets (by the way if you have any interest in economics, or international trade, or investing you really should read his economics blog – it is great). Deming noted excessive health care costsas a deadly disease to the American economy and the news just gets year after year. This system is obviously broken and in need of fundemental change.
Related Health Care posts:
- Saving Lives: US Heath Care Improvement
- Going Lean in Health Care
- Using Design to Reduce Medical Error
Health Care improvement articles and studies via the Curious Cat Management Improvement Library.
Some of the increased health care costs can be attributed to the P4P model (Pay for Performance) that has taken over health care the past few years. Paying physicians/hospitals/etc extra for services they are already being paid for hasn’t shown to improve anything, but the train has left the station! As a QI staff in an HMO I fight it everyday. At IHI this Dec. there is a session ‘A Conversation w/ Dr. Deming on Pay-for-Performance’ by Ron Moen, finally. Unfortunately I think its too little too late. TW
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