Reducing the Price of Health Care

The focus in health care reform is cost control in light of annual double-digit inflation since the late 1990s and the consumption of nearly 17% of the gross domestic product (GDP) in 2009 (more than any other country in the world). The debate is over how to reduce the rate of spending for health care while preserving quality and access to care for patients. Research at least 2 methods of reducing the percentage of the GDP spent on health care. You will need to be able to describe how you would do this in specific terms. This can be a number of approaches, such as the following:

• Completely dismantle the current system and start over—A monumental task
• Revise the current payment system to reflect current economic constraints
• Cut Medicare and Medicaid
• Insurance reform
• National health insurance based on the Massachusetts Model
• Malpractice reform
• Legislation such as the Balanced Budget Act of 1997, the Medicare Modernization Act of 2003, the Affordable Care Act (2010), and others

Provide the following elements in your paper:

• Describe the model you are supporting to best control costs without compromising the quality and access to health care, and explain how the model works.
• Analyze the method that you are supporting, detailing the strengths and weaknesses from all stakeholder group (e.g., patient, provider, and third-party payer) perspectives.
• Provide an example of the model in real time or as a scenario.
• Summarize the anticipated results in terms of costs and benefits.