Health Economics
U.S. Health Care: Facts about Cost, Access, and Quality
The U.S. spends approximately 15 percent of its gross domestic product on health care, making health care the largest single sector of the U.S. economy. Despite these levels of expenditure, Americans are not healthier and do not live longer than citizens in many other nations. American adults receive just half of recommended health care services, and quality does not vary much by socioeconomic factors. Focusing on the nation as a whole, this chart book provides an overview of key health care policy issues in the areas of cost, access, and quality.
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The RAND Corporation is at the forefront of research on health insurance and managed care, conducting high-profile studies on a variety of topics, including the influence of insurance coverage on access to health care and on health outcomes. The RAND Corporation's 15-year Health Insurance Experiment, which began in 1971, is considered the most important study of health insurance ever conducted, laying the groundwork for future research on health care quality and coverage and on managed care. Our current studies on health care financing and organization are highlighted below.
Profiles of Current Research
Health Insurance, Quality of Care, and Outcomes
Employer-Sponsored Health Insurance and Care for the Uninsured
Highlights of Recent Studies & News
Consumer-Directed Health Care: Early Evidence Shows Lower Costs, Mixed Effects on Quality of Care — 2007
This study of the effects of enrollment in consumer-directed health plans on use, costs, and quality of health care also found that beneficiaries believed they lacked adequate information with which to make choices.
The Public Spends Little to Provide Health Care for Undocumented Immigrants— 2006
This study found that undocumented immigrants use fewer health care services than native-born residents, in large part because they are healthier than native-born residents.
The Health Insurance Experiment: A Classic RAND Study Speaks to the Current Health Care Reform Debate— 2006
A reexamination shows that the main findings of this classic study—that cost sharing affects the use of highly effective as well as less effective health care services and that free care led to some health improvements—are still relevant today.
Cutting Drug Co-Payments for Sicker Patients on Cholesterol-Lowering Drugs Could Save a Billion Dollars Every Year — 2006
The study found that poor compliance with prescription medication recommendations increases use of other, more expensive, health care services.
Related Web Sites
Healthcare for Communities
http://www.hsrcenter.ucla.edu/research/hcc.shtml
HIV Cost and Services Utilization Study (HCSUS)
Bing Center for Health Economics
www.rand.org/health/centers/bing/
RAND Roybal Center for Health Policy Simulation
UCLA/RAND NIMH Center for Research on Quality in Managed Care
Working with Congress
RAND's Washington Office of Congressional Relations (OCR) furthers RAND's mission to provide objective analysis and effective solutions by disseminating research results to Congress and federal agencies. The OCR publishes a monthly electronic newsletter featuring current work on health policy. Contact: Shirley Ruhe (Shirley_Ruhe@rand.org) or Kristy Anderson (kristy@rand.org).
The RAND Health Congressional Newsletter
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