Center for Health Care System Change Report on health care markets released

In February 2007 several physician members of the AMCNO met with interviewers from the Center for Health System Change to provide input into the latest Community Tracking Study for this community. The Community Tracking Study is a national, longitudinal study of changes in local health care systems and the effects of those changes on people. The study is conducted by the Center for Studying Health System Change (HSC), a non-partisan, research organization in Washington, DC, funded primarily by The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The goal of the research is to provide policy makers and private-sector decision makers with timely, objective information on how the U.S. health care system is changing and the policy implications of those changes. Cleveland is one of twelve U.S. areas studied in-depth since 1996. Every two years, a team of researchers visits these communities to interview a wide variety of health system leaders to explore how the organization, financing and delivery of care have changed. 

The report from HSC was just released and noted that little has changed in local health care markets since 2005 to break the cycle of rising costs, falling insurance coverage and widening access inequities. As intense competition among hospitals and physicians for profitable specialty services continues, employers and health plans are looking to consumers to take more responsibility for medical costs, lifestyle choices and treatment decisions. While consumer-directed health plans have not gained widespread adoption, other developments—including a heightened emphasis on prevention and wellness, along with nascent provider cost and quality information—are advancing health care consumerism. However, concerns exist about whether these efforts will slow cost growth enough to keep care affordable or whether the growing problem of affordability will derail efforts to decrease the rising number of uninsured Americans and stymie meaningful health care reform. To view the complete report go to: http://www.hschange.org/CONTENT/947/