Drew Altman, Kaiser Family Foundation September 30, 2020
Reproduced from Kaiser Family Foundation;
Chart: Axios Visuals
Voters
care a lot about drug prices, but they’re not the main reason the U.S. spends
so much on health care.
The big picture: The U.S. spends twice as much per person as other wealthy
nations, according to a new Peterson-Kaiser Tracker
analysis — and hospitals and outpatient care are the primary
culprits.
By the numbers: The U.S. spent $10,637 per capita on health care in 2018.
Comparable countries spent $5,527.
·
The overwhelming
majority of the difference — 76% of it — came from spending on inpatient and
outpatient care — not drugs, which get more attention but represent just 10% of
the difference.
·
Why
it matters: Cutting hospital
spending is hard to do without causing real pain, and that has made it
politically risky, as well.
·
A public option, like
that proposed by Joe Biden, would put pressure on hospital prices. The
intensity of that pressure would depend on the plan’s payment level and how
many people it covers, which would affect its purchasing power.
·
A single-payer health
plan would have even more leverage, though universal coverage — not price
controls — is usually its supporters’ primary focus.
·
The hospital industry
led the lobbying effort that killed a public option in the Affordable Care Act,
and spent millions in the Democratic primaries this year advertising against
Medicare for All.
What we're watching: President Trump has set out new price transparency rules for
hospitals, though its likely impact on costs is unclear and the industry has
challenged it in court.
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