Question

Health care expenditures continue to rise in the USA.

(a) Describe three of the factors that you think drive up health care costs (

b) Explain what you think an individual can do to have an impact on personal and overall health care costs?

Answer 1

A. * Population growth

* population aging

* disease prevalence or incidence.

* medical service utilization

* service price and intensity.

The aging of the population affects the demand for all health care services including hospitals, and long term Care.older persons use more health services than their younger counterparts because they have more health problems.they are also hospitalized more often and have longer lengths of stay than younger persons.

Aging most likely influences growth in health expenditures indirectly, through its influence on these societal factors population aging moderately increases expenditure on actue care and strongly increases expenditure on long term care.

Some of the rise in treated disease is linked to a rise in population disease prevalence.previous work has indicated that the rise in modifiable population risk factors such as obesity accounted for approximately 27% of the change in health Care spending between 1987 to 2002.

Higher prices for medical services caused per- person health Care spending to increase by 4.2% in 2017.. This number includes spending costs for both pharmacy and medical claims.however while spending costs continued to rise,utilization was found to be stagnant or to have fallen.

B. The costs of health Care continues to rise.that is why it help's to learn how to take steps to limit your out of pocket health Care costs.

Learn how to save money and still receive the care you need.start by looking at your plam information so you know what services are available.

1. Save money on medicines

* ask your Heath care provider if you can switch to generic medicines.they have the same active ingredients but costs less than brand name drugs.

* ask your provider if there is a less expensive medicine that treats the same condition.

* take all of your medicines as directed. Not taking your medicine or not taking enough medicine may lead to further health problems.

2. Plan ahead for urgent and emergency Care

When an illness or injury occurs you need to decide how serious it is and how soon to get medical care .this will help You choose whether to call your provider go to an urgent care clinic or get emergency Care.

* if a person or unborn baby could die or have permanent harm, it is an emergency .example include chest pain, trouble breathing or severe pain or bleeding.

You will save both time and money if you use an urgent care center or see your provider rather than going to the emergency department.plan ahead by knowing which urgent care center is neat you.also learn how to recognize an emergency in adults and in a child.

3. Ask about outpatient facilities

If you need a procedure or surgery ask your provider of you can have it done at an outpatient clinic.often getting care at a clinic is cheaper than having the same procedure in a hospital

4. Take Care of your health

A simple way to save money on health care is to stay Healthy.of course. that is sometimes easier said than done.but staying at a healthy weight getting regular exercise and not smoking lowers your risk for health problems.staying healthy helpes you avoid costly tests and treatments for ongoing conditions such as diabetes or heart disease.

5. Choose a health plan that is right for you

When choosing a plan think about the health needs of you and your family.if you pick a plan with higher premiums more of your health costs will be covered.this may be good idea if you have a health problems such as diabetes and need regular care.if you rarely need medical care, then you may want to choose a plan with a higher deductible.you will pay lower monthly premiums and likely save money overall.also compare prescription drug coverage.

6. Use a health care savings account (HSA) or flexible spending account ( FSA)

Many employers offer an HSA or FSA. These are savings accounts that allow you to set aside pre- tax money for health care expenses.this can help you save several hundred dollars per year.HSAs are owned by you ,earn interest, and can be transferred to a new employer.FSAs are owned by your employer do not earn interest and must be used within the calendar year.