Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Why Does U.S. Spend So Much On Health Care? One Reason Is No One Really Knows True Cost Of What They're Buying
The U.S. spends more per capita on health care than any other developed nation. It will soon spend close to 20% of its GDP on health鈥攕ignificantly more than the percentage spent by major Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development nations. What is driving costs so high? As this series of charts shows, Americans aren鈥檛 buying more health care overall than other countries. But what they are buying is increasingly expensive. Among the reasons is the troubling fact that few people in health care, from consumers to doctors to hospitals to insurers, know the true cost of what they are buying and selling. (Walker, 7/31)
Democrats are laying the groundwork to make a push for 鈥淢edicare for all鈥 legislation if they win back the House in November. More than 60 House Democrats launched a Medicare for All Congressional聽Caucus this month, a sign of the popularity surrounding the concept of a government-run health insurance system for everyone that鈥檚 supported by liberal firebrands like Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. (Sullivan, 7/31)
