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Objective. To estimate the cost of resources required to implement a set of Foundational Public Health Services (FPHS) as recommended by the Institute of Medicine. Study Design. A stochastic simulation model was used to generate probability distributions of input and output costs across 11 FPHS domains. We used an implementation attainment scale to estimate costs of fully implementing FPHS. Data Collection/Extraction Methods. We use data collected from a diverse cohort of 19 public health agencies located in three states that implemented the FPHS cost estimation methodology in their agencies during 2014-2015. Principal Findings. The average agency incurred costs of $48 per capita implementing FPHS at their current attainment levels with a coefficient of variation (CV) of 16 percent. Achieving full FPHS implementation would require $82 per capita (CV=19 percent), indicating an estimated resource gap of $34 per capita. Conclusions. Substantial variation in costs exists across communities in resources currently devoted to implementing FPHS, with even larger variation in resources needed for full attainment. Reducing geographic inequities in FPHS may require novel financing mechanisms and delivery models that allow health agencies to have robust roles within the health system and realize a minimum package of public health services for the nation. Key Words. Health care financing/insurance/premiums, health promotion/prevention/screening, geographic/spatial factors/small area variations, The United States faces mounting pressure to improve population health as medical costs rise, while American health status falls further behind that of other developed nations (IOM 2013). Enactment of [...]

The Little Rock Region is home to more than 20 major hospital/medical facilities serving the state's 3 million people with renowned health care and medical research on a daily basis. [...]

Objectives. To quantify the cost savings of palliative care (PC) and identify differences in savings according to team structure, patient diagnosis, and timing of consult. Data Sources. Hospital administrative records on all inpatient stays at five hospital campuses from January 2009 through June 2012. Study Design. The analysis matched PC patients to non-PC patients (separately by discharge status) using propensity score methods. Weighted generalized linear model regressions of hospital costs were estimated for the matched groups. Data Collection. Data were restricted to patients at least 18 years old with inpatient stays of between 7 and 30 days. Variables available included patient demographics, primary and secondary diagnoses, hospital costs incurred for the inpatient stay, and when/if the patient had a PC consult. Principal Findings. We found overall cost savings from PC of $3,426 per patient for those dying in the hospital. No significant cost savings were found for patients discharged alive; however, significant cost savings for patients discharged alive could be achieved for certain diagnoses, PC team structures, or if consults occurred within 10 days of admission. Conclusions. Appropriately selected and timed PC consults with physician and RN involvement can help ensure a financially viable PC program via cost savings to the hospital. Key Words. Palliative care, hospital cost savings, Palliative care (PC) is a relatively new and rapidly growing health care specialty filling important gaps in treatment and care faced by seriously ill patients and their families. PC aims [...]

HEALTH care reform is tricky. Access to affordable health care is of paramount importance, but paying for it can put enormous pressure on government budgets. Fortunately, a number of reform [...]

In 2016, healthcare spending grew to $3.4 trillion and is expected to reach $5.5 trillion by the year 2025 (1). In response to this growth, the industry has been on [...]

Byline: Jessica Zigmond The nation's economy is improving, but it's doing so weakly, and that continues to curb the growth in healthcare costs. That was the message last week when [...]

Byline: Melanie Evans News last week of sluggish health spending growth in 2008 came as a warning, not a relief, to health policy experts and industry executives. In estimates released [...]

U.S. healthcare systems today find themselves in an unenviable position. According to the Healthcare Financial Management Association (HFMA), the cost of supplies is growing at 23 percent annually, while reimbursements [...]

WASHINGTON -- National health spending last year continued a trend of low growth, according to an analysis from the Office of the Actuary at the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid [...]

The healthcare market must grow to accommodate the 70 million baby boomers who are becoming senior citizens and the 20 million additional Americans who will gain insurance coverage under the [...]

The U.S. Monster Employment Index rose 6% in February from January's level. Over the previous 12 months, the index is up 4%. All 28 metro markets record positive annual growth [...]

Data released by Standard & Poor's for the S&P Healthcare Economic Composite Index indicate that the average per capita cost of healthcare services covered by commercial insurance and Medicare programs [...]

Over the past decade, the rate of growth of health care spending globally has outstripped the rate of growth of total economic output. While a longstanding reality in most Western [...]