Health Care Reforms Could Save Over $299 Billion

U.S. PIRG

WASHINGTON, April 17, 2009 – As Congress starts work on a health reform bill, a new publication from citizen advocacy group U.S. PIRG identifies a path to lower costs, not by cutting care, but by delivering better, more efficient care.

“Paying for What Works” examines the core problem with the America’s health care delivery system:  the skewed payment incentives that drive up costs and undermine quality of care.

In the document, for example, U.S. PIRG finds over $299 billion in national health spending could be saved each year if the innovative, coordinated approach to health care used by the Utah’s Intermountain Health System were adopted nationwide.

“Health care reform can not only rein in high health care costs. Done right, it can help doctors and other providers be more effective at the job they signed up to do in the first place –providing real, personalized care to your family,” said U.S. PIRG Health Care Advocate, Larry McNeely.

Intended to influence health reform legislation now under development in Congress, this short policy primer concludes with a detailed set of policy fixes for this and other delivery system problems.

U.S. PIRG’s brief was released on Friday, April 17th to selected Capitol Hill offices and on U.S. PIRG’s website.