Healthcare spending in California is well below the national
average, according to new federal data — largely because of high
numbers of uninsured and low Medi-Cal reimbursement rates,
analysts say.
Staying healthy in the United States is expensive. In fact, in
2009, the average annual cost of health care was $7,960 per
person — two and a half times what it was in Japan for the same
year.
September 11, 2011Sacramento Business Journal, August 26, 2011
The costs to provide health care are rising at the same time
advances in medicine, an aging population and rising burden of
chronic disease are increasing demand for care, according to the
American Hospital Association (AHA) and their new Trend-Watch
Report titled, “The Cost of Caring: Drivers of Spending on
Hospital Care.
Hospitals in California are paying more to provide health
insurance coverage for their workers, according to a new survey
of 231 California hospitals by Keenan Healthcare. The survey
found that California hospitals are facing average insurance
costs of $10,992 per employee this year, an 11% increase from
last year.
A new poll finds that many baby boomers are concerned about
rising health care expenses associated with aging. According to
the poll, 43% of baby boomers are “very” or “extremely” worried
about their ability to pay their medical costs.
Uncompensated care for illegal immigrants is a huge problem
because hospitals are forced to pass on the costs, said U.S. Rep.
Dana Rohrabacher, R-Huntington Beach.
June 20, 2011Los Angeles Business Journal, May 30, 2011
The spotlight is shining on health care costs. It’s an
issue that generates newspaper headlines and debate among
business leaders, policymakers and consumers. But for all
of the arguments – and accusations – that emanate from this
discussion, the facts are more complex than the dialogue often
reflects.
The biggest single factor in driving up costs to insurance
companies — and, in turn, their policyholders — is a curious
practice that described as “cost-shifting.” Costs that can be
assigned to Medicare or Medi-Cal are fixed. Charity patients pay
nothing. So the rising expenses encountered by hospitals are
assigned to commercial insurers, who — guess what? — pass them
along to customers.
Employers will see healthcare costs increase by 8.5% in 2012, up
slightly from 2010, as the economy continues to rebound,
according to the annual Behind the Numbers report on medical cost
trends from the PwC Health Research Institute.
The average per capita cost of healthcare services covered by
commercial insurance and Medicare grew 6.19% over the 12 months
ending in February 2011, but those rates of growth continue to
decelerate, Standard & Poor’s Healthcare Economic Indices
show.
April 14, 2011RAND Health Research Highlights, April 2011
The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA) contains
substantial new requirements aimed at covering more uninsured
people. Many of these new provisions will impose additional
costs on state governments. Here are examples from 5 states
including California.
My mother had been in pain for sometime in her abdomen and in
her back. Eventually, the pain became so bad that I took her to
St Mary’s emergency room…
