How will expanded access to health care affect the cost of medical care?
Using a version of supply-and-demand theory, some have the mistaken view that expanded access will translate into higher prices for medical care. But remember that in our society, everyone can access medical care in some form if they are sick enough. In fact, health economists state that systemwide, for the uninsured we already spend 75 percent as much as we do for the insured. Part of the problem is that those who are not insured often receive the most expensive care because they are prone to emergency treatments and expensive hospitalizations. The cost of this care is shifted to paying customers within the health system, adding nearly 7 percent to their costs. Far better – both for individual health and for everyone’s pocketbook – is a system that encourages healthy lifestyles, provides routine access to a physician for preventive care, and identifies medical problems before they become life-threatening.
