Alliance for Health Reform Report on Health Care Costs

The Alliance for Health Reform is out with a new report on the drivers of rising health care costs in the United States — from medical waste, to fee-for-service payments, to improvements in medical technology, to chronic illness. The report includes feedback from CMS chief Marilyn Tavenner, who told the group her agency is seeking to control costs by emphasizing primary care, piloting programs to treat Medicare-Medicaid “dual eligibles” and coordinating patient care. Also contributing to the report are Helen Darling of the National Business Group on Health, Susan Reinhard of AARP, Dan Mendelson of Avalere Health, and Kenneth Thorpe of Emory University. The Alliance hopes its report will inform policymakers as they look to control the deficit in upcoming debt ceiling negotiations.