Sustainable Health Spending: Cost Control with Improved Value?

Data from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services showed surprisingly low health care spending growth in 2017 (3.9%), and other data suggest this trend continued in 2018 and 2019. While quite high by world standards, given recent strong economic growth, the health sector's share of the U.S. economic pie is stable or even falling. Yet, with the economic expansion now the longest in U.S. history, and imbalances appearing, we might be on the cusp of a slowdown that will throw our health care financing system into chaos. We see historically high deficits with sturdy economic growth, but how is the health system responding to these cross currents? What progress has been made moving from volume to value? What is the impact among vulnerable and publicly insured populations?

Altarum's 9th annual sustainable health spending symposium, which took place on July 9, 2019, in Washington DC, featured a distinguished panel of experts who addressed these questions and more. If you were unable to attend the event or would like to revisit the material, you can view the monograph to read the full proceedings of the event in a single document, including all presentations and panel discussions.