Lec 11: Health Care Costs And Cost Control Flashcards
What are some reason why health care cost is important?
Affects demand
Affects how we get paid
Biggest problem = COST
What are the three parts of kissick’s iron triangle?
Cost at top, quality at left, access at right
Key facts about cost: How much is spent on healthcare per person?
$9,990
Key facts about cost: What is the share of economic activity (GDP) devoted to health care?
17.8%
Key facts about cost: If growth rate is going up, then…
Something is driving this change
Key facts about cost: Where is spending the greatest?
In 2013… 10x more than it was in 1980
US per capita health care expenditures: Growth ______, remains in step with ___________
SLOWS
Overall economy
US health care expenditures as a % of the GDP: Growth trend line is going ____
UP
Distribution of national health expenditures, by type of service: _______ is the biggest piece of the pie in terms of where money is spent
HOSPITAL CARE (know this)
The US spends a lot more compared to other countries, T/F?
True
Explain the US health expenditure vs. life expectancy
We are spending way more than everyone else, but life expectancy is not that great
Impact of increasing health care costs (5)
Affordability of CARE Affordability of INSURANCE Burden on businesses Individuals not getting needed care Increased use of government programs
There is a burden on businesses (employee sponsored healthcare), because the cost of providing health insurance to their employees continues to go ___
UP
Why are health care costs so high?
There is a disagreement on drivers of rising health care costs
(What are the 4 reasons?)
Moral hazard
Demographic shift
Reduced consumer ownership
Unnecessary spending
What is moral hazard?
Once someone has insurance coverage that someone else is paying for, they will use more of it
What is a demographic shift?
People get older, they use more care.
More old people = it will cost more
What are some examples of unnecessary spending?
Fraud and abuse
What is the cost equation?
C= P x Q Cost = Price x Quantity
What are the two factors driving increased cost?
Prices
Volume & Intensity
Factors Driving Increased Cost: Prices:
Concentration of _______ ______
______ and _______
If you are living in the city where you only have a few hospitals, prices will go ___
Market power
Supply and demand
UP
Factors Driving Increased Cost: Prices:
__________ ____: working in practice and all these rules you need to follow, you need to hire someone to do this for you.
Administrative costs
Factors Driving Increased Cost: Volume&Intensity:
Fee for ______
Service
Factors Driving Increased Cost: Volume&Intensity:
_________ care and care systems - we do not have a coordinated system where the work has already been done follows us around; different specialists do their own test
FRAGMENTED
Factors Driving Increased Cost: Volume&Intensity:
Medical ______
Technology
Factors Driving Increased Cost: Volume&Intensity:
_________ liability
Malpractice
Factors Driving Increased Cost: Volume&Intensity:
Increased prevalence of _______ conditions
Chronic
Factors Driving Increased Cost: Volume&Intensity:
Changing ________
Demographics
Two types of “Painful” cost control: Reimbursement
- Price controls
- Utilization controls
Price controls: (2)
- Mandated uniform fee schedule
2. May result in cost shifting to other payers, increased utilization; reduced quality of care/patient satisfaction
Utilization controls (3)
- Changing unit/methodology of payment
- Patient cost-sharing (deductibles, co-pays)
- Utilization management (controlling the volume of services provided)
Utilization is about ______. Movement from ________ to more _______ services
VOLUME
Fee for service
Bundled
CMS interprets the ______
Who decides what is appropriate under Medicare?
LAW
CONGRESS
Insurance companies have a certain ______ for making decisions
Algorithm
And they do not have to tell you what it is
If you spend more money, your outcomes will get _______, to a point, and then they will ______
Better
Level off