Rising Health costs

"What's Behind the Rise in Health Care Costs?

Americans are more than aware of the critical flaws in the system. Canadians should be as well. How informed are you? Indifferent-You will only become aware when you need it and then it will be too late. Pre-emptive health is a solid alternative QJ

What's Behind the Rise in
Health Care Costs?

A recent article in The Wall Street Journal caught my eye: "Health-Care Premiums Rise 7.7%, Outpacing Wages and Inflation" -- that's more than double the rate of inflation. And, frighteningly, the rise in health care costs is actually low compared with the fact that insurance costs have been averaging double or triple inflation for several years. I know the debate over rising health care has been a hot topic in Washington, DC, for years, but thought Charles B. Inlander, founder of the People's Medical Society, could further shed some light on the problem.

How did we get to this point and what can we do about it? Inlander offered an explanation and -- even though this is a complicated situation with no easy solutions -- a few coping tips that we can use as individuals to rein in our own runaway costs.

A HEALTH CARE SYSTEM IN DISARRAY

The numbers are grim. The US spends twice as much money per capita on medical care as any other industrialized country, yet we tend to have worse results with infant mortality, disease-free life expectancy, cancer rates, hospital infections, drug errors and many other health care measurements. We spend more, and we get less. This is because of rampant waste and inefficiency in our health care system, says Inlander.

According to a survey conducted by the The Commonwealth Fund (www.cmwf.org), a private foundation that supports independent research on health care issues, Americans are more than aware of the critical flaws in the system. Three out of four adults said that the health care system "needs either fundamental change or complete rebuilding." More than one third of respondents reported that they had received poorly coordinated, inefficient or unsafe care at some time during the past two years. This included unnecessary treatments, duplicate tests, drug or lab test errors and failure to provide test results or other important medical information.

NUMBER OF UNINSURED AMERICANS AT AN ALL-TIME HIGH

Sad to say, the problem is getting worse, not better. Employers are reacting to rocketing health care costs by reducing or dropping health care benefits for workers, adding to the growing ranks of the uninsured. The percentage of moderate-income Americans who lack health insurance for at least part of one year rose from 28% in 2001 to 41% in 2005... more than half of Americans with incomes of less than $20,000 a year have reported being uninsured for some or all of 2005. Many of the uninsured are children, with their numbers rising from 7.9 million in 2004 to 8.3 million in 2005. People without insurance are less likely to have a regular doctor or get important screening tests such as mammograms. According to the Institute of Medicine, approximately 18,000 Americans die prematurely each year because they have no health insurance.

This is why Inlander feels we're eventually going to end up with national health insurance. But is national health insurance the solution? Would offloading the expense of medical care to the government address the inefficiencies in the system? Or would this just guarantee payment for them? Whatever the future holds, here's what you can do now.

WHAT YOU CAN DO

While the politicians bicker about how to fix the rising health care costs, there are steps that we can take as individuals to keep a lid on our own medical expenses. Inlander recommends the following...

Use generic prescription drugs, which have been on the market longer. Not only are these less expensive, they are equally effective as brand name drugs and have a longer track record for safety.

Negotiate fees. Don't assume you have to pay the posted fees. Many physicians will be flexible depending on your circumstances, and may waive fees for repeat visits. For example, if your physician tells you to come back in for a blood pressure check or to examine your child's ears after an infection, say you're not coming back if you get charged again.

Shop around for the most economical health care plan that fits the needs of your family. You can learn more about how to choose a health plan at Web sites such as www.ahrq.gov/consumer/hlthpln1.htm and www.covertheuninsured.org.
Daily Health News contributing editor Andrew L. Rubman, ND, recommends that his patients focus on another important aspect of "beating health care costs" -- stay healthy through a focus on creating wellness in their lives. Whereas the mainstream medical community is geared toward symptom suppression through pharmacy, naturopathic practitioners work with patients to maximize their body's function and help it avoid disease... and in turn this reduces unnecessary health care costs. Whether or not your insurance company covers these visits, you may well find a better return on your investment with an ND. (natural doctor)