US Healthcare Expensive and Inefficient

[Freein05]

Quote:

Originally Posted by lets-retire Y T We can go on and on, but the point is health care is so expensive in this country because that's what we can pay.

For how long?

[mykidslovedogs]

Until the market will no longer withstand the increases...we are probably just about there. At that time changes such as the following will come about which will all help hinder increases to the cost of care:

1.) New, different and/or better health insurance options (such as HSAs and HRAs)

2.) Innovative ways to cut costs in the hospital setting without reducing or even at the same time increasing safety and efficiency.

3.) New and better ways to improve billing, record keeping, and Rx processing (such as the computerized systems that physicians are now beginning to implement for instant faxing of prescriptions to pharmacies.)

4.) A focus on consumer driven healthcare and innovative perks to encourage health and wellness such as disounts to excercise facilities and prescription management tools offered by health insurance carriers.

5.) President Bush's push for healthcare providers (doctors and hospitals) to do a better job of communicating prices of services to users of the healthcare system.

These are just a few of the kinds of things that have already been set into motion. It just takes time.