Issue Briefs
Vita Advisors, LLC Issue Briefs are overviews and summaries of health care topics that underlie many of the commercial market dynamics of emerging health care companies which are introducing new technologies and business practices to improve the efficiency and quality of health care delivery. The intent of the Issue Briefs is to provide a concise and factual overview of the topic discussed.
I. Malpractice Liability, Defensive Medicine and Health Care Costs
Malpractice liability and its relationship to the practice of “defensive medicine” have been in the forefront of today’s health care reform debate. Many contend that malpractice liability has led to unsustainably high costs for practicing medicine, an overutilization of services and decreased access to care for patients. This Brief examines the relationship between malpractice liability and health care costs.
II. Who Has Health Care Coverage In the US and From What Source
Health insurance is often assumed to apply to discreet categories of individuals in a one to one fashion: those who work, those who are poor, or those who are aged. But in fact, an individual’s coverage is often a complex combination of payers who frequently cross demographic and work status boundaries. This Brief summarizes the web of payer coverage.
III. Sources, Expenditures and the Burden of Paying for Health Care
Concerns over the rising costs of health coverage and the number of people without health insurance have fueled significant debate over ways to control health care expenditures while increasing access. These concerns are rooted in the expectation that, if uninterrupted, the economic burden of health care to industry and government is unsustainable. This Brief examines where health care dollars are spent and who bears the burden of these expenses.
IV. The Value of Prevention and Wellness
Prevention and wellness have been significant points of discussion in the current health care reform efforts. Controversy exists over the extent to which preventive interventions might create substantial reductions in health care spending. This Issue Brief describes types of preventive and wellness programs, examines methods for identifying the health outcome and financial values of those activities and summarizes existing research on value across several types of prevention and wellness efforts.
V. The Concentration of Health Care Expenditures
The rate of growth of Personal Health Expenditures in the United States has solicited a never-ending litany of causes supposed and solutions offered to stem the rise in incidence, procedures, technology utilization and unit price escalation. Some have focused on tort reform, others on variation in care, and still others on prevention and wellness. The underlying problem, however, is that a small but increasing number of people with high cost illness account for the vast majority of health expenditures.