The rising cost of health care affects consumers of all ages, and the ambiguous — and often lofty — price tags associated with certain procedures or treatments can prevent patients from receiving the proper care that they need.
Now, experts from West Health Institute, a group of nonprofits that works to reduce health care costs for older people, are exploring the rise in health care costs and trying to put initiatives in place that would lessen the financial burden of medical care for seniors.
“Skyrocketing health care costs represent a significant and growing public health crisis that requires more action and less debate,” said Shelley Lyford, president and CEO of West Health. “We can all agree that Americans are hurting, in some cases dying or going bankrupt, because of a broken system that costs too much and delivers too little. We can no longer delay or defer common sense reforms and better and more cost-effective models of care when the health and financial security of millions hang in the balance.”
Creating better policies and practices
While there are countless factors at play that influence the cost of seniors’ health care, some of the top findings included at-home care, prescription drugs, and what stance employers take to maintain reasonable health care costs.
Similarly, when trying to remedy these concerns, experts brainstormed several viable options for policymakers to implement, all of which would help keep health care costs down while…
This article was sourced from Consumer Affairs.