Health junction

Assessing the Real Cost of Health Care in America We can�t measure the real cost of any public program, unless we consider the economic factors, such as opportunity cost, which is the cost of spending excessive resources on health care that could otherwise go to something else. In order to do this, lets look at what other industrialized countries have in per capita income and what they are spending for health care. Based on 2006 income data the United States is no longer the wealthiest country per capita. Norway is the wealthiest country with $53,100 dollars of gross national income per person, compared to the USA�s $44,200 per person. Ireland is third with an income of $41,300 per person. What is interesting is both of these countries have national health care plans and higher taxes than in the United States. When you compare spending on health care, citing the Journal of Health Affairs article published in June of 2004, Norway spent $2,920 per person compared to the United States $4,...

Leading Presidential Candidates-Clinton, McCain, Obama Proposals for Health Care Reform This week�s column analyzes the leading presidential candidates Senators Hillary Clinton, Barak Obama, and John McCain proposals on health care reforms and how their ideas would address these five questions: 1. Access to Care 2. Optimization of Government Purchasing for Medicare and other Programs 3. Reimbursement Alignment for Desired Clinical Outcomes 4. Streamlining the Health Care System Administratively 5. Financing Health Care for all Access to Care The three questions that must be addressed in order to answer the access question are: Do the proposed changes provide health care coverage for all residents, or at least a close approximation of that? Secondly, do their proposals address adequacy of reimbursements for health care clinicians and facilities? Thirdly, are there enough clinicians to meet the increased demand for primary care and other services from changes in health care access and if...

Leading Presidential Candidates-Clinton, McCain, Obama Proposals for Health Care Reform Two weeks ago I wrote an article about the five fundamental questions that need to be asked in order to design optimum health care reforms in the United States. This week�s column analyzes the leading presidential candidates Senators Hillary Clinton, Barak Obama, and John McCain proposals on health care reforms and how their ideas would address these five concerns: Access to Care Optimization of Government Purchasing for Medicare and other Programs Reimbursement Alignment for Desired Clinical Outcomes Streamlining the Health Care System Administratively Financing Health Care for all Access to Care The three questions that must be addressed in order to answer the access question are: Do the proposed changes provide health care coverage for all residents, or at least a close approximation of that? Secondly, do their proposals address adequacy of reimbursements for health care clinicians and facilities...