Cost remains top health care issue, survey reveals

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Despite a flurry of public attention to providing health coverage for the uninsured, and even with an impending debate on adding prescription drugs to Medicare, Americans say controlling health care costs ought to be the top priority for Congress and the president when addressing health care issues, according to a survey released June 3 by the Health Insurance Association of America.|ret||ret||tab|

In a related development, health insurance companies unveiled their proposals to contain health care costs, a plan they say would save $98 billion to $258 billion each year. Americans spent $1.4 trillion on health care in 2001.|ret||ret||tab|

According to the survey, 31 percent of all Americans rated cost as the most important health care issue, slightly ahead of those who say the uninsured or Medicare prescription drug coverage ought to be policymakers' top concern.|ret||ret||tab|

Privately insured adults ranked cost even higher, with 39 percent calling it the top priority. Not surprisingly, Medicare beneficiaries said prescription drug coverage ought to be the most important issue for Congress, and those without health insurance ranked covering the uninsured ahead of the other two.|ret||ret||tab|

"These results clearly show that Americans understand that our nation cannot sustain the inflation in medical spending, nor the resulting hike in insurance premiums, that we have seen over the last several years," said HIAA President Donald Young. "And they want policymakers to do something about it."|ret||ret||tab|

Although the survey asked people to determine the factors influencing higher health care costs trial lawyers filing frivolous suits and the profits of drug companies were the top two Young said the trade association sought to avoid "finger pointing and blame laying."|ret||ret||tab|

"Everyone involved in the health care financing and delivery system patients, providers, purchasers, payers and policymakers has an essential role to play in getting health care costs back under control," he said.|ret||ret||tab|

"The proposals we have put forward show we can make real progress toward the goal of affordable, sustainable health care for all Americans if we have the political will to do so."|ret||ret||tab|

Full details of the cost containment proposal are on the Web at www.affordablecareusa.org.|ret||ret||tab|

The survey also shows that people with private insurance tend to underestimate the amount of insurance premiums paid by their employer, and to overestimate the amount of health care spending that comes from their own pocket. |ret||ret||tab|

Conducted by Public Opinion Strategies among 800 adults in April, the survey has a margin of error of 3.5 percent.|ret||ret||tab|

The Health Insurance Association of America is a trade association representing the private health care system. Its nearly 300 members provide health, long-term care, dental, disability, and supplemental coverage to more than 100 million Americans.|ret||ret||tab|

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