A quick roundup of the issues driving the healthcare reform conversation.
Week in Review
HERE’S HOW MUCH HOSPITAL PRICES ARE RISING
Quick takeaway: Hospital prices continue to skyrocket.
The Department of Labor reported that in April prices for medical care rose 2.7 percent year-over-year. Over that same span, hospital prices rose by an alarming 7.7 percent.
Digging deeper: According to the Peterson-KFF Health System Tracker, since 2000, prices for medical care have increased 119.2 percent – that’s 34 percent more than the rise in prices for all goods and services.
What it means: Hospital prices are one of the root causes of the inflation consumers are currently experiencing.
DATA SHOWS IMPORTANCE OF LOCAL PHARMACY PARTNERSHIPS WITH PBMS
Quick takeaway: Patients visit community pharmacies more than other healthcare providers by a 2 to 1 margin.
Digging deeper: Local pharmacists capitalize on their position by helping patients achieve their health goals, with benefits extending to improving care quality, cost-effectiveness, and overall community health. Increased use of pharmacy services by patients has meant an approximate 30 percent reduction in inpatient admissions and 18 percent reduction in Emergency Department visits, according to a recent study.
And, generally speaking, health services provided by local pharmacists play an important role in how patients receive care.
What it means: By working alongside their community pharmacist partners, pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs), like Elevance Health’s CarelonRx, are helping our healthcare system pivot away from volume and towards value.
SIXTY PERCENT QUIT WEIGHT-LOSS DRUGS TOO EARLY FOR BENEFITS
Quick takeaway: Almost 60 percent of Americans who started taking GLP-1 weight-loss drugs between 2014 and 2023 didn’t continue long enough to see meaningful health benefits, according to a study by the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association.
Digging deeper: About 30 percent of those who were prescribed the drugs stopped in the first month, according to the data.
What it means: While demand for these medications continues to go up, their effectiveness and long-term benefits remain unclear. Research shows the need for a deeper understanding of these drugs, their benefits, and the most effective way to sustain their positive impact. The potential cost of making GLP-1 medicines available to the estimated 40 percent of Americans with obesity, if not understood and controlled, could reach as high as $1 trillion annually.
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The Health Action Network includes everyday Americans—families, workers, businesses, patients, providers, neighbors, and friends. We are working together because we support market-based solutions that offer better healthcare choices and help build a stronger economy. The Health Action Network is an Elevance Health, Inc., initiative.