Comments on: HEALTH SPENDING: A Growing Economic Crisis http://healthaffairs.org/blog/2008/02/26/health-spending-a-growing-economic-crisis/ The Policy Journal of the Health Sphere Fri, 20 Nov 2009 20:04:42 -0500 hourly 1 By: Farmanux News http://healthaffairs.org/blog/2008/02/26/health-spending-a-growing-economic-crisis/comment-page-1/#comment-16440 Farmanux News Tue, 04 Mar 2008 23:02:51 +0000 http://healthaffairs.org/blog/2008/02/26/health-spending-a-growing-economic-crisis/#comment-16440 [...] Editor’s Note: The following post by Rep. Jim Cooper (D-TN) comments on the projections of national health spending from 2007 through 2017, published today by Sean Keehan and his colleagues in the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Office of the Actuary as a Health Affairs Web Exclusive. Although there s a lot of explosive material in the latest National Health Expenditures forecast, […] Read more [...] [...] Editor’s Note: The following post by Rep. Jim Cooper (D-TN) comments on the projections of national health spending from 2007 through 2017, published today by Sean Keehan and his colleagues in the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Office of the Actuary as a Health Affairs Web Exclusive. Although there s a lot of explosive material in the latest National Health Expenditures forecast, […] Read more [...]

]]> By: John Welton http://healthaffairs.org/blog/2008/02/26/health-spending-a-growing-economic-crisis/comment-page-1/#comment-16309 John Welton Sun, 02 Mar 2008 14:41:01 +0000 http://healthaffairs.org/blog/2008/02/26/health-spending-a-growing-economic-crisis/#comment-16309 Representative Cooper, one little discussed aspect of the future cost of heath care in the US is the retirement of many experienced nurses, physicians, and other essential medical professionals. This will tend to balance or offset the rising numbers of hospital admissions and potentially lead to rationing of acute care. For example, we can anticipate loosing nearly 1/4 of all hospital RNs due to retirement by 2019 and over 40% by 2024. This will substantially and profoundly affect delivery of acute care in the coming decades leading to closure of hospital beds, long delays for elective surgeries and procedures and escalating diversion of ambulances. Perhaps the cost issue will not be as ominous as the deterioration in access and quality of our future health care system. Representative Cooper, one little discussed aspect of the future cost of heath care in the US is the retirement of many experienced nurses, physicians, and other essential medical professionals. This will tend to balance or offset the rising numbers of hospital admissions and potentially lead to rationing of acute care. For example, we can anticipate loosing nearly 1/4 of all hospital RNs due to retirement by 2019 and over 40% by 2024. This will substantially and profoundly affect delivery of acute care in the coming decades leading to closure of hospital beds, long delays for elective surgeries and procedures and escalating diversion of ambulances. Perhaps the cost issue will not be as ominous as the deterioration in access and quality of our future health care system.

]]> By: richard smith http://healthaffairs.org/blog/2008/02/26/health-spending-a-growing-economic-crisis/comment-page-1/#comment-16285 richard smith Sat, 01 Mar 2008 04:22:50 +0000 http://healthaffairs.org/blog/2008/02/26/health-spending-a-growing-economic-crisis/#comment-16285 Like many govenment programs, healthcare is over-promised and under-funded. Like many govenment programs, healthcare is over-promised and under-funded.

]]> By: james mcniff http://healthaffairs.org/blog/2008/02/26/health-spending-a-growing-economic-crisis/comment-page-1/#comment-16278 james mcniff Fri, 29 Feb 2008 21:10:53 +0000 http://healthaffairs.org/blog/2008/02/26/health-spending-a-growing-economic-crisis/#comment-16278 Rep. Cooper, I understand the political risk in adopting a European style of health care but what are our options?....we must reduce costs..do we eliminate insurance companies and implement a medicare type of program to achieve the savings of administrative simplification?..probably not,insurance companies will fight to survive..do we prevent hospitals from growing and investing in their communities health care..probably not, we know how many people the health care industry employs...I believe the insurance industry and health care organizations will be pushed by the market to improve quality and reduce costs however this will be incremental not a major change..so what is left?..If the European system is too strong of a medicine ,let's look at Australia....otherwise i agree with you that we are heading into the perfect storm.. Rep. Cooper, I understand the political risk in adopting a European style of health care but what are our options?….we must reduce costs..do we eliminate insurance companies and implement a medicare type of program to achieve the savings of administrative simplification?..probably not,insurance companies will fight to survive..do we prevent hospitals from growing and investing in their communities health care..probably not, we know how many people the health care industry employs…I believe the insurance industry and health care organizations will be pushed by the market to improve quality and reduce costs however this will be incremental not a major change..so what is left?..If the European system is too strong of a medicine ,let’s look at Australia….otherwise i agree with you that we are heading into the perfect storm..

]]> By: Neil Gardner http://healthaffairs.org/blog/2008/02/26/health-spending-a-growing-economic-crisis/comment-page-1/#comment-16108 Neil Gardner Tue, 26 Feb 2008 19:11:41 +0000 http://healthaffairs.org/blog/2008/02/26/health-spending-a-growing-economic-crisis/#comment-16108 Rep. Cooper, On the same blog page is a piece by a repub colleague of yours who acknowledges the same economic dangers. However, he suggests the repub market solution, not doubt some form of Consumer Directed healthcare which will magically sustain the system while no doubt giving effective care to all. I don't buy that in the least. In your piece, you do not make any suggestions for a solution to this problem, and I am wondering what your suggested solutons might be?? Rep. Cooper, On the same blog page is a piece by a repub colleague of yours who acknowledges the same economic dangers. However, he suggests the repub market solution, not doubt some form of Consumer Directed healthcare which will magically sustain the system while no doubt giving effective care to all. I don’t buy that in the least.

In your piece, you do not make any suggestions for a solution to this problem, and I am wondering what your suggested solutons might be??

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