Introduction
The health policy I have selected for discussion is the “Lower Health Care Costs Act” (S. 1895), proposed in June 2019. This comprehensive bill, introduced by Senator Lamar Alexander from Tennessee, aims to reduce the overall cost of healthcare by addressing several key issues, including surprise medical billing, prescription drug prices, public health, and health information exchange (Congress.gov, n.d.).
Relevance
The need for this health policy arose from several issues within the American healthcare system. Increasing health care costs have forced many Americans to skip or delay necessary medical treatment. Also, surprise medical billing, where patients receive unexpected charges from out-of-network providers, has become a significant problem. The high cost of prescription drugs, particularly for the uninsured and elderly, is another major issue that this policy seeks to address.
Social Determinants
The social determinant that most affects this policy is socioeconomic status. Health care costs can be a significant burden for lower-income households, often leading to delayed or skipped treatment, which can further exacerbate health disparities. This policy aims to make health care more affordable and accessible to all, regardless of income.
Evidence
There is substantial evidence to support the need for this policy. For instance, a 2019 survey by the Kaiser Family Foundation found that nearly one in four Americans, or someone in their household, had received a surprise medical bill (Callaway, 2019). A study published in Health Affairs also highlighted that one in six hospital stays resulted in at least one out-of-network charge.
Further Research
However, whether the policy’s proposed interventions will effectively address these issues requires further evaluation. For example, the bill proposes to address the surprise billing issue by holding patients harmless for additional costs and establishing a benchmark for what out-of-network physicians can charge (Congress.gov, n.d.). While this may protect patients from unexpected charges, it could potentially lead to increased health care costs if providers increase their charges to meet the benchmark. Therefore, it is crucial to carefully monitor and evaluate the impacts of this policy if it is implemented.
Conclusion
Overall, the Lower Health Care Costs Act addresses several crucial issues in the American health care system and is based on substantial evidence. However, its effectiveness in achieving its goals needs to be closely monitored and evaluated.
References
Callaway, J. (2019). Surprise medical bills are landing millions of patients into debt. ABC Action News.
Congress. Gov. (n.d.). S.1895 – Lower Health Care Costs Act.
Tipirneni, R., Politi, M. C., Kullgren, J. T., Kieffer, E. C., Goold, S. D., Scherer, A. M. (2018). Association between health insurance literacy and avoidance of health care services owing to cost. JAMA Netw Open, 1(7).