Health care savings, coverage for all could lower spending $1.5 trillion ove...(icy solutions out there that will save m...),Health

Currently, health spending in the U.S. is predicted to increase from $2 trillion to more than $4 trillion over the next 10 years, and to consume one out of every five dollars of national income as increases outpace income growth by a wide margin. According to the reports findings, it is possible to curb health care spending, and simultaneously enhance the overall performance of the health care system. And the sooner policy changes addressed at reducing spending are enacted, the greater the cumulative savings for families, businesses and public health insurance programs. In fact, even modest changes can quickly add up to billions. However, authors caution that in order to see real savings and higher value, policies must address overall health system costs and not shift cost from one part of the health care system to another.

The report illustrates that it is possible to insure everyone and achieve savings, said James J. Mongan, M.D., Commission Chair and President and CEO of Partners HealthCare System. The Commission hopes the report will stimulate constructive discussion, on the pros and cons of these options as well as others that could move the nation on a path to higher value, toward a health system that provides access to all, higher quality and better outcomes, in addition to savings. While the Commission is not endorsing any specific options, it will be reviewing several in greater detail and plan to issue recommendations in 2009.

Examples of Savings Over 10 Years:

• Promoting Health Information Technology: With an initial increase in investment, $88 billion could be saved by accelerating health care providers adoption of health information technology that would allow them to share all patient health information with the other health care providers involved in the
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