Access to health care is one of this nation’s greatest and most urgent public policy concerns, and unfortunately skyrocketing costs of care per patient are contributing to the political barriers that could expand coverage. The growing divide between Democrats and Republicans in promoting access to health care is for the time being focused on the level of government intervention, the role of private providers and the rate of expansion of health insurance. However, the question of access cannot be seriously addressed without a thorough evaluation of the ballooning cost of health care, which is reducing predictability for businesses who offer coverage to their employees.
It is not surprising that presidential candidates are shying away from directly addressing health care costs, especially given the political repercussions they risk facing by scrutinizing a highly profitable industry that includes pharmaceutical companies among others. However, this supply-side can still be streamlined by simplifying and increasing transparency of the benefits, formats, standards and screening processes, which should eventually generate large financial savings. In the meantime though, we cannot continue to spend a disproportionate amount of energy on analyzing who should be providing health care and how without critically evaluating the cost of what is being provided.
-Arian Hassani | Program Associate
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