1 health highlights: jan. 26, 2004 bush resuscitates plan to cap medical malpractice awards...
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Health Highlights: Jan. 26, 2004
Bush Resuscitates Plan to Cap Medical Malpractice Awards
President Bush says huge medical malpractice awards are inflating health-care costs for everyone, and he's revived a plan to impose limits on how much juries can award victims, the Associated Press reports.
"We can help control rising health-care costs by cutting down on frivolous lawsuits against doctors and hospitals," Bush said in his weekly radio address over the weekend.
The president made virtually the same appeal in 2003, but his plan was stalled by Senate Democrats, who argued the measure would help insurance companies at the expense of injured patients.
The legislation that Congress failed to pass last year would have limited pain and suffering awards to $250,000 and punitive damages to the same amount or twice a person's actual financial loss. It would have also limited lawyer fees and curtailed a patient's ability to file suit after a certain amount of time had passed, the AP reports.
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Health-Care Spending Soars
Spurred by hospital and prescription drug costs, health-care spending rose 9.3% in 2002, to about $5,440 for every American.Spending on health care outpaced spending in other areas of the U.S. economy for the fourth consecutive year.Leading the surge was spending for prescription drugs, which was15.3% higher than in 2001. Hospital spending rose 9.5%, because of higher wages, a higher use of hospital services, and hospitals' ability to negotiate prices with health plans."This continued acceleration injects pressure into the health care system, and everyone -- from businesses, to government, to consumers -- is affected,"
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Health Care Economics
Insurance National Health Care Expenditures Cost Control Methods
ProvidersEmployersConsumers
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Insurance
History Basic Insurance
Hospital benefitsSurgical benefitsMedical benefitsMaternity careSkilled nursing
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Insurance
Major medical coverage Contract provisions Portability Types of plans
Fee for serviceFixed dollarHMOs, PPOsMedicare
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Insurance
Newsletter http://www.healthinsuranceinfo.net/newsyoucanuse/06.html
Consumer Guide for CA http://www.healthinsuranceinfo.net/ca00.html
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Costs of Chronic Disease
Chronic diseases people have account medical care costs for more than 75% of the nation’s $1.4 trillion medical care costs
Total Health Care ExpendituresReminder: $2.6 trillion in 2010Estimate for 2013: $3.7 trillion
Chronic diseases account for 65% of the years of potential life lost before age 65
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National Health Expenditures in 2002
$1,553,000,000,000__% increase from 2001
$5,440 per personUp $____ from 2001Grew ___% faster than economy
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National Health Expenditures in 2002
Where It Came From
$549.6 billion
$212.5 billion
$249 billion
$267 billion
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National Health Expenditures in 2002
Where the Money Went
$586.5 billion
$501.5 billion
$139.3 billion
$162.4 billion
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Cost Control Measures
Hospital mergers Purchasing alliances Integrated managed care systems Networks
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Cost Control Measures
Providers
Hospital mergers Purchasing alliances Integrated managed care systems Networks
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Cost Control Measures
Employers
Reduce benefits Switch to managed care Cut retiree benefits Require employees & retirees pay
more Employee wellness programs
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Cost Control Measures
Employers
Chevron Oil Field Research Corporation Program type: “basic” and “traditional”
Biosense Program type: “Health and Productivity
Management”• Goals and Objectives: Healthy People 2005• Major health issues determined with health risk
appraisals Data driven programs Collaboration with
Employee Assistance Program (EAP), Nurse, Wellness, Work Hardening, Safety
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Cost Control Measures
Employers
Summex CorporationConsider first
• Health plans• Sick leave costs• Workers comp• Disability costs
Quick cost reduction programs
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Cost Control Measures
Employers
Summex CorporationQuick cost reduction programs
• Prenatal care• Medical self-care• Tobacco cessation• Stress reduction• Injury prevention
Long-term cost reduction programs
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Cost Control Measures
Employers
Summex CorporationLong-term cost reduction programs
• Nutrition• Exercise• Stress
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Cost Control Measures
Employers – Where to Start
Level 1: Quality of LifeCost
• $10 to $50 per employee per year
Wellness programsFun, enjoyable, employee interactionBasic
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Cost Control Measures
Employers – Where to Start
Level 2: Traditional Cost
• $50 to $100 per year per employee• About 1.5% of cost of each employees health
insurance paid by company
• Save $3 for every $1 spent
Health Fairs Lunch time lectures Events Screenings
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Cost Control Measures
Employers – Where to Start
Level 3: Health & Productivity Management Cost
• $100 to $300 per year per employee• About 4% of cost of each employees health
insurance paid by company• Save $6 for every $1 spent
• As high as $15 for every dollar Long-term on-going programs Targeted programs (example)
• Inactivity• Cholesterol• Blood pressure• Smoking
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Cost Control Measures
Employers
ResourcesAmerican College of Sports Medicine
• Worksite Health Promotion• www.acsm.org
Wellness Councils of America• www.welcoa.org
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Cost Control Measures
Consumers
Get MD before needing careAvoid emergency room care
Practice medical self-careRegular physicals by ageNutrition, physical activityBrush & flossSafety – seatbelts, smoke alarms