Sustainable U.S. Health Spending: Serious Issues—Sound Policy Solutions

With stronger economic growth and modest success in controlling U.S. health care spending, there is room for optimism in realizing a sustainable future. Nevertheless, cost pressures come from multiple directions: new and expensive specialty drugs; novel medical devices and procedures to aid those with chronic conditions; growing long-term care needs; higher wages stimulated by provider shortages; price pressure due to consolidation; and destabilizing insurance markets. Will the health system respond by effectively controlling spending and reducing waste and low-value care? Or, will lower costs be obtained only by restricting insurance coverage? 

This event assembled a distinguished panel of presenters to speak to these questions and more at a critical time just months before the mid-term elections. We discussed fiscal stresses from Medicare and Medicaid, peered into future health spending trends, directly confronted the central question of sustainable spending, and examined essential health policy trade-offs.

A video recording and transcript of the event are available.