Health care refers to the efforts to maintain or restore human physical and mental well-being by trained and licensed professionals. It also includes the supply of goods and services related to such efforts, including medical equipment and pharmaceuticals. Some countries have different models of healthcare, and no model is perfect. Nonetheless, all of them should strive for high quality and affordable healthcare.
Several issues contribute to the high cost of health care. The main issue is the way costs are financed. The system is complex, involving many participants. In addition to patients and providers there are insurance companies, third-party payers, purchasing organizations, pharmacy benefit managers, group buying organizations, etc. All of these participants have a hand in pricing and determining how much is paid for a specific health care interaction.
Some people believe that health care should be allocated as efficiently as possible, i.e. to get the most “bang for the buck.” Others think that healthcare is a social good, and that governments have a moral obligation to provide it to all citizens. Still others hold that the allocation of healthcare should take into account both efficiency and fairness.
Another important issue is the way that health care costs are distributed. Some people have a strong preference for single-payer systems, which are designed to ensure that all costs are shared equally. Other people prefer to allocate costs on the basis of need, so that those who are sick or poor pay less. Still others favor a mix of public and private systems.
Other issues contributing to high health care costs are the way that resources are scarce and limited in time and place. For example, the availability of organs is limited, as is the availability of primary care physicians and advanced technologies. Many people are worried about the costs of medical care, which can be a major financial burden, even when they have health insurance. In the United States, significant shares of adults report delaying or foregoing needed healthcare services due to cost.
In the past, economic incentives in the healthcare industry promoted rapid diffusion of new technologies regardless of their cost effectiveness. This was a result of fee-for-service hospital reimbursement, generous insurance plans, and the fact that doctors had little incentive to use evidence to determine whether or not a new technology was effective.
In recent years, a movement has been underway to make health care charges more transparent to patients. This has led to the development of a variety of websites and other tools that enable patients to see health care prices before being seen. However, this transparency does not necessarily translate into lower health care costs, as the price of a service may be influenced by other factors such as how convenient it is for the patient to visit that provider or what the doctor is known for. These factors often do not reflect what is best for the patient’s overall health and safety. As a result, a decrease in health care costs may not be accompanied by improved health outcomes.