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Wednesday, August 8, 2012

Studies Lay Groundwork for Congressional Debate on Health Care Costs

by Steve Teske

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Two new studies from the New England Journal of Medicine lay the groundwork for what could be the debate in Congress next year over controlling rising health care costs.

While the future of the health care reform law remains in doubt until after the presidential election, putting the brakes on rising health care costs likely will be the next big debate in Congress as lawmakers look to reduce the federal budget deficit.

The studies appeared in the Aug. 1 NEJM. The first, written by 23 liberals, some with connections to Presidents Obama and Clinton, argued for an 11-point plan for controlling health care costs, including adopting global spending targets, moving away from fee-for-service medicine, and increasing the use of competitive bidding.

In the second article, a panel of conservative experts recommended bending the cost curve through market-based incentives, including turning Medicare into a premium support program and ending the federal tax subsidies for employer-provided health insurance.
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