Rising Healthcare Costs in the U.S.: Strategies for Cost Reduction

This study concerns rising costs of healthcare in the U.S., that have in recent times led to various policy and regulatory changes. The articles indicate that there has been an emergent issue in recent years associated with rising healthcare costs. Results from the articles include legislative frameworks, cost-effective based operations, comparison of healthcare costs with rising GDP, and sustainability within healthcare costs.

Qualitative Research Methods
Evaluation: Rising cost in Healthcare in
U.S leading to ineffective health services
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Summarize the type of study and phenomenon of interest
This study concerns rising costs of healthcare in the U.S., that have in recent times led to various
policy and regulatory changes. Four pertinent articles taken in this area of interests are by M.
McClellan, A.N. McKethan, J. L. Lewis, J. Roski and Fisher (May, 2010) article, A National
Strategy to Put Accountable Care Into Practice (McClellan, 2010). This article summarizes
recent legislation and practices to address shortcomings arising from high healthcare cost in US.
Second article is by Cutler (2011), The (Paper) work of Medicine: Understanding International
Medical Costs (Cutler, 2011). The scope of this paper examines medical spending and way it can
be made efficient for more cost-effective operations.
Third article is by Chandra (2012) Technology Growth and Expenditure Growth in Health Care,
recognizes ways in which healthcare costs in the US has risen parallel to GDP (Chandra, 2012).
Another article by D.M. Berwick and Hackbarth (2012) named, Eliminating Waste in US Health
Care, examines ways in which healthcare cost in the U.S. be brought within a sustainable range
(Berwick, 2012). It includes costs cut, reductions, benefits structures, payment levels and so on.
Discuss whether the sample and population used were appropriate
All the four articles made use of varied types of sample population that were appropriate for the
purpose of the study. Sample and population used were appropriately used for the study.

Summarize Results
The articles indicates that there has been an emergent issue in recent years associated with rising
healthcare costs. While there are various factors leading to increase, strategies to curtail costs has
not been implemented aimed at its reduction. Results from first article analyses legislative
frameworks. Results from second analysis includes cost-effective based operations. Third article
compares healthcare costs with rising GDP. Whereas fourth article analyses sustainability within
healthcare costs.
Limitations of results
The studies conducted had certain limitations, a major being that they were conducted only on
US. The population, sample, regulations and other factors used for the study were restricted to
US only and hence results cannot be applied to any other country without modification of results.
Conclusions
Various factors have contributed to rising healthcare costs in the US that includes medication,
technology and so on. Government and insurance companies often have to bear the burden of
such impending costs that is growing in an unsustainable manner.

Applications
These studies can directly be applied in forming strategies or policies that could lead to cost
reduction. Forming policies for private players in healthcare industry can also be obtained form
these articles.

Reference Lists
Berwick, D. M., & Hackbarth, A. D. (2012). Eliminating waste in US health
care. Jama, 307(14), 1513-1516.
Chandra, A., & Skinner, J. (2012). Technology growth and expenditure growth in health
care. Journal of Economic Literature, 50(3), 645-80.
Cutler, D. M., & Ly, D. P. (2011). The (paper) work of medicine: understanding international
medical costs. Journal of Economic Perspectives, 25(2), 3-25.
McClellan, M., McKethan, A. N., Lewis, J. L., Roski, J., & Fisher, E. S. (2010). A national
strategy to put accountable care into practice. Health Affairs, 29(5), 982-990.