HEALTH CARE
We support policies that expand access and improve the quality, efficiency and affordability of the U.S. health care system.
Several proposals in Congress seek to improve health care efficiency and expand coverage. By slowing the growth rate of costs, health care reform can spur economic growth, reduce future budget deficits, raise living standards and improve the efficiency of our labor markets.
Current cost increases are unsustainable – particularly for those businesses facing international competition.
- Per capita spending on health care nearly tripled from 1990 to 2009.
- Since 1970, health care spending has been growing at an annual rate 2.4 percentage points faster than our economy, absorbing an ever increasing portion of corporate capital and employee wages.
- We spend nearly twice as much on health care as our competitors – and the difference is growing.
We must act now.
- Our economy depends increasingly on small businesses – but our current system does not serve them well.
- Workers are switching jobs more often, which makes the pre-existing condition exclusion increasingly unworkable.
- The current recession could double the difference between rising health care costs and economic growth this year (from 2.4% to approximately 5%) – putting even more pressure on business.
We must take a comprehensive approach.
- Efficiency improvements alone cannot bend the cost curve enough to maintain our economic competitiveness.
- In order to provide affordable, portable health insurance, we must find the right balance on pricing (“community rating” vs. “experience rating”) and required coverage (by employers or individuals).
Business leaders should promote reforms that can encourage competition, efficiency, and innovation in health care.
- IT reforms, results-oriented management, claims standardization and other efficiency reforms can reduce fraud, discourage unjustified tort claims and direct capital where it’s needed most.
- Investing in prevention can help reduce chronic care costs that currently account for 75% of total health care spending.
>Read the full Business Forward Health Care Briefing
Best Practices
Neera Tanden - Senior Advisor, Health and Human Services
"Businesses are the leading voice in saying we need action. They look at the cost trajectory, they look at premiums doubling again, and they think to themselves - we face a tremendous choice."Doctors for America - Bringing Doctors' Voices to Health Care Reform
Doctors for America works to convey the ideas and experiences of physicians to achieve healthcare reform based on four key pillars: affordable coverage, expanded access to care, high quality care, and practice environments that allow physicians to focus on patient care.Recent Posts
Executive Director, Jim Doyle sat down with Erin Burnett for a CNBC Exclusive on the Business Forward Poll showing solid business support for health care reform.
Arkansas business leaders participated in a working breakfast on health care reform sponsored by Business
Issues
