不作为的代价迫切需要卫生改革.pdfVIP

Introduction Americans across the country are demanding comprehensive health reform and cannot afford to wait any longer for Washington to act. Businesses and families are struggling as costs continue to skyrocket. More and more Americans find themselves uninsured. Those Americans fortunate enough to have health insurance often don’t get the quality care they need and deserve. The Costs of Inaction highlights the flaws in the health care system and demonstrates the cost of maintaining the status quo. Organized into three sections – Escalating Health Care Costs, Diminishing Access to Care and Persistent Gaps in Quality – the report shows how the current system has failed millions of Americans and why we must enact comprehensive health reform this year. Escalating Health Care Costs Families, business, and state and federal budgets are straining under skyrocketing health care costs. Employer-sponsored health insurance premiums have more than doubled in the last 9 years, a rate 3 times faster than cumulative wage increases.1 The United States spent approximately $2.2 trillion on health care in 2007, or $7,421 per person.2 This comes to 16.2% of Source1 GDP, nearly twice the average of other developed nations.3 Health care costs doubled from 1996 to 2006, and are projected to rise to 25% of GDP in 2025 and 49% in 2082.4 The proportion of spending attributable to Medicare and Medicaid in the health system is expected to rise from 4 percent of GDP in 2007 to 19 percent of GDP in 2082, making it the principle driving force behind rising federal spending in the decades to come.5 1 Health care costs add $1,525 to the price of every General Motors vehicle. The company spent $4.6 billion on health care in 2007, more than the cost of steel.6 As a result of these crushing health care costs, American businesses are losing t