Take a look at this article on Politico. It is about the health care cost experience in Massachusetts. That State’s version of reform was to expand coverage and that it has done, but as with the national effort little was done to control costs and instead the blame game was focused on insurance premiums.
Repeatedly, policy makers ignore basic facts that the real problem is the underlying cost of health care, a complicated problem in itself covering everything from technology, to perceptions of good health care to the lifestyles of Americans. Yet, we hear over and over that insurance companies must do more to control costs and their premiums. The expectations many Americans have for low premiums and lower health care costs beginning in 2014 will not be fulfilled. While many will see their premiums subsidized by the government, the underlying cost of health care will continue to increase and we will come to the point where the money needed to maintain the subsidies will be unsustainable.
The reality is that patients and health care providers must do more to control health care costs.
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