The Patient Angle

Season 1 Episode 3. Why is US healthcare so expensive? Part 2

In this episode, we discuss 1. Top 8 most expensive diseases 2. A good website to keep you informed of the relevant and important healthcare news is kff.org. 3. The NSA or the No Surpises Act. 4. We discuss surprise billing and what you can do to reduce surprise billing.  5. The current state of mental healthcare. 6. We looked at claims data for 1 person over a 9-month period and why the amount in claims submitted does not match reimbursement.  7. Match the hospital bill and the explanation of benefits. They have to match. If not, ask why. Be vigilant.

Season 1 Episode 2 Why is US healthcare so expensive? Part 1

According to David Cutler, a professor of health economics at Harvard University said that there are three reasons for high cost in healthcare is high medical spending, greed, and intense romance or over-dosing on tests and procedures only when the patient meets healthcare. In this part 1 of episode 2, we break down these three reasons.

Season 1, Episode 1: The history of US healthcare. The beginning and evolution of the US healthcare system.

Unlike most developed countries, the US does not have universal healthcare. Nearly all European countries have a universal health care system. Some call it the "free health care" system. In reality, it's not. RELATIVE TO THE SIZE OF ITS ECONOMY, THE U.S. SPENDS A MUCH GREATER AMOUNT ON HEALTH CARE. IN FACT, THE UNITED STATES HAD THE HIGHEST PER CAPITA HEALTH EXPENDITURE AMONG OECD (ORGANISATION FOR ECONOMIC CO-OPERATION AND DEVELOPMENT) COUNTRIES. IN 2019, THE PER CAPITA HEALTH EXPENDITURE IN THE U.S. AMOUNTED TO 10,949 U.S. IN 2020, THE TOTAL NATIONAL HEALTHCARE EXPENDITURE WAS $3.6 TRILLION. Life expectancy in the U.S. increased from 1980-2019 but decreased from its all-time high of 78.9 years after 2014. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported that there are increases in the overall percentage of US adults with multiple chronic conditions, as well as variation by population subgroups. In 2018, 51.8% (129 million) of civilian, noninstitutionalized adults had been diagnosed with at least 1 of 10 selected chronic conditions - 24.6% (61 million) of adults had 1 chronic condition, and 27.2% (68 million) had ≥2 chronic conditions. So, the high spending has not translated into health. To better understand the system, it is imperative that we understand the history.  In Season 1, Episode 1 we take a deep dive into the history of US healthcare.

Introducing The Patient Angle with Bindu Kalesan

The Patient Angle podcast positions the patient as the heart of healthcare, by exploring what the health consumers want for themselves, beyond what is currently offered. This podcast critically analyses healthcare from different aspects and perspectives by boldly addressing the unmet needs of patients.  Join Bindu Kalesan, a scientist turned entrepreneur for real conversations from the health consumers and what the healthcare providers think about the unmet needs of the patient. We are experiencing a booming healthcare market mainly through digital and technology. These episodes aim to inform these healthcare innovations to be truly patient-centric by churning out the good aspects and the pain points that are systemically entrenched in traditional payer-centric healthcare so that the emerging digital health systems are built around the patient. For more information about this series, visit https://turysciences.com/ [https://turysciences.com/].