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You are here > Home > Reading Lists > Politics, Policy & Reform > Hidden Costs, Value Lost: Uninsurance in America Hidden Costs,
Value Lost: Uninsurance in America Softcover, 196 pages
Hidden Cost, Value Lost, the fifth of a series of six books on the consequences of uninsurance in the United States, illustrates some of the economic and social losses to the country of maintaining so many people without health insurance. The series is designed to lay the groundwork for a more informed public debate about health care coverage. This book explores the potential economic and societal benefits (and costs) that could be realized if everyone had health insurance on a continuous basis, as people over age 65 currently do with Medicare. The societal costs of maintaining an uninsured population usually are thought of only in terms of the public costs of free or reduced-price care used by uninsured individuals. To capture the hidden costs of uninsurance's effects, the committee employed the concept of "health capital" to estimate the value that would be gained if health insurance were extended to all. Health capital represents, in monetary terms, the value of an individual's health over future years of life, and includes the subjective value of being alive and healthy, earning potential, and children's physical and mental development. The differences in health status and life spans between the uninsured and otherwise similar people with coverage represents the value of health capital lost due to being uninsured. The estimated value of improved health that an uninsured individual would gain with each year of coverage ranges between $1,645 and $3,280 annually. The aggregate value that could be realized for the entire population – $65 billion to $130 billion – likely exceeds the estimated costs – $34 billion to $69 billion – to provide the uninsured with the additional health services that they would use if they gained coverage and used the same amount and kind of services as the insured. It is important to note that the committee did not attempt to project the full costs of a plan to cover everyone. The report also examines evidence that there are other costs related to lack of health coverage beyond the $65 billion to $130 billion estimate that cannot be calculated with current data. These costs include reduced availability of health care services for both the uninsured and the insured in communities with high rates of uninsurance, and higher costs for public programs. Hidden Costs, Value Lost concludes that the estimated benefits across society in health years of life gained by providing the uninsured with the kind and amount of health services that the insured use, are likely greater than the additional social costs of doing so. The potential economic value to be gained in better health outcomes from uninterrupted coverage for all Americans is estimated to be between $65 and $130 billion each year. The value of providing coverage to those who are now uninsured accrues over the lifespan of the individuals and to society as a whole. One challenge is that employers may not individually derive enough value to make it worth their while to offer insurance to their workers. At the same time, studies have demonstrated that impaired health – which is more common among those without health insurance – is related to absenteeism and reduced productivity. Almost one-fifth of the working-age population lacks health coverage. With the publication of this report, the fifth in a series on the consequences of uninsurance, the Institute of Medicine offers the most complete evidence-based picture of the coverage issue and its effects on individuals, families, communities, and the nation as a whole. The book's contents are divided as follows:
The series is sponsored by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. "Providing health care coverage to those who lack it is likely to be a cost-effective strategy that pays not only in lives saved and better health, but also in economic dividends," said committee co-chair Arthur Kellermann, professor and chair of emergency medicine at Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta. "By identifying and, where possible, quantifying the economic inefficiencies and losses that stem from having 41 million Americans without health insurance, this report looks at our national health policy within a cost-benefit framework," said Mary Sue Coleman, co-chair of the committee that wrote the report and president, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor. "Our findings are based on the same approach that federal agencies use to determine whether the benefits of reducing a particular risk or harm justify the costs to society. As policy-makers weigh the costs and benefits of expanding coverage, they should factor in the estimated $65 billion to $130 billion value of improved health that could be realized each year through continuous coverage." This six-part series is sponsored by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The six books in this important series include:
The Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI) is a not-for-profit organization driving the improvement of health by advancing the quality and value of health care. IHI is a reliable source of energy, knowledge, and support for a never-ending campaign to improve health care worldwide. We develop and nurture will, energizing a movement for profound change in health care. We spread improvement knowledge across the globe, and provide methods, tools, and other supports, largely through partnerships, for thousands of health care organizations to turn knowledge into improved results. We initiate and support innovation efforts, so as to discover, cultivate, and demonstrate the feasibility of new, more capable, designs. We exercise academic rigor in this work. We work to change the skills, attitudes, and knowledge of the workforce, both in the ongoing development of young professionals and in life-long education, so as to reduce profession-specific silos that limit collaborative effort for the well-being of patients. We seek to improve joy in work, and to help all who work in health care to become better able to help improve care. The Institute of Medicine (IOM) serves as adviser to the nation to improve health. As an independent, scientific adviser, the Institute of Medicine strives to provide advice that is unbiased, based on evidence, and grounded in science. The mission of the Institute of Medicine embraces the health of people everywhere. The National Academies Press (NAP) was created by the National Academies to publish the reports issued by the National Academy of Sciences, the National Academy of Engineering, the Institute of Medicine, and the National Research Council, all operating under a charter granted by the Congress of the United States. The NAP publishes more than 200 books a year on a wide range of topics in science, engineering, and health, capturing the most authoritative views on important issues in science and health policy. The institutions represented by the NAP are unique in that they attract the nation's leading experts in every field to serve on their award-winning panels and committees. If you are interested in policy or books about health care reform, please see our up-to-date collection here: Politics, Policy & Reform. You may also be interested in / The Directory of Healthcare Recruiters / Jump to a List / Health Administration & Leadership / Physician Executive, Medical Staff & Practice Management / Finance, Accounting, Economics, Billing & Reimbursement / Coding for Hospital, Physician & Clinical Services / Law, Malpractice, Ethics, Accreditation & Compliance / Quality Improvement, Outcomes & Customer Service / Risk Management, Security, Error Reduction & Patient Safety / Information Systems, Technology & Medical Records / Clinical Management & Executive Nursing / Behavioral Health, Social Work & Psychiatry Management / Human Resources, Management & Supervision / Directories, Data, Trends & Benchmarks / Software & CD-ROMs / Gift Ideas & Recommended Gifts / Politics, Policy & Reform / Journals, Magazines & Newsletters / Search for Books / Books Index / Go to / Home Page / Toolbox for Health Administrators / Bookstore |
