Health Care Costs

Cause and Effect Essay # 102901

Economics
Medical and Health > Public Health Issues

Health Care Costs

A discussion of the rising costs of health care in the United States.

1,050 words () | 6 sources | APA | 2008 United States

Paper Summary:

This paper takes a look at the reasons health care costs continue to rise in the United States. It points out that many factors interact to increase costs and these factors include certain elements that, ironically, are thought to reduce costs or that may have been intended to reduce costs. The paper adds that costs increase in part for natural economic reasons, such as the cost of developing new drugs, or the added costs accruing due to the creation and implementation of new medical technology. The paper maintains that one of the primary reasons fo cost increases is that the public does not pay for what it uses in medicine, meaning that people do not pay directly out of their own pockets. Instead, millions have their costs paid by insurance or a company health plan, and this increases the overall costs. To conclude, the paper calls for a better and more certain analysis of how costs could be reduced.

From the Paper:

"The patient may pay something on his or her bill, but it is usually only a part of the whole. Alterio (2007) notes how some of the efforts to control costs can harm patients, which in turn increases health care costs over time because patients may have to wait longer for treatment and need more medical attention when they do get it. Alterio notes that keeping down costs in HMOs often means requiring doctors to see more patients per hour and to give each patient less time, which saves money in the short-term while increasing costs in the long run."

Sample of Sources Used:

Alterio, J.M. (2007, March 18). Anxiety abounds amid rising health care costs. THE JOURNAL. Retrieved March 29, 2007 from http://www.thejournalnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070318/BUSINESS01/703180312/-1/SPECIAL08.
Benko, L.B. (2005, November 14). PRICE CHECK! Insurers are cluing members in on what doctors and hospitals charge. Modern Healthcare. Retrieved March 29, 2007 from http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-138878699.html.
Brune, B. (2006, September 21). Consumers gaining health care cost data: Insurers want more comparisons on pricing, quality. Houston Chronicle. Retrieved March 29, 2007 from http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-151706780.html.
Wasserman, S. (2004, January). Insurance Mandates and Health Care Costs: Requiring Insurance Companies to Cover Certain Services Has Defendants and Opponents. State Legislatures, Volume 30, Issue 1. Retrieved March 29, 2007 from http://www.questia.com/PM.qst?a=o&d=5002443099.
Wheelan, C. (2007). The Top 10 Reasons for Soaring Health-Care Costs. Yahoo! Finance 2007. Retrieved March 29, 2007 from http://finance.yahoo.com/expert/article/economist/2760.