AHA offers strategies for reducing health care costs

Hospitals and health systems understand the importance of making health care more affordable for everyone, and they “have been tackling the issue head on, taking steps to redesign care and implement operational efficiencies,” AHA told Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee Chairman Lamar Alexander, R-Tenn., in response to a letter seeking input on reducing health care costs. “However, to make care more affordable, every stakeholder – hospitals, other providers, insurers, drug companies, device makers, the government and patients – have a role to play in this effort.”
 
The AHA urged Congress and the Administration to take further action to help reduce input and administrative costs, as well as maximize the number of insured patients. AHA shared specific recommendations on reducing the cost of prescription drugs; reducing the regulatory burden and pursuing administrative simplification; supporting hospitals in improving patient quality and safety; maximizing enrollment in comprehensive coverage; and enacting liability reform.
 
In addition, AHA also shared several actions Congress can take to support access to high-value care while reducing low-value or redundant care, including: support continued innovations in care delivery and payment reform; advance adoption and use of telehealth capabilities; invest in public health and non-medical social interventions to prevent onset of disease and injury; and increase access to behavioral health care.