Costs

Starting in 1996 and each year since, HSC researchers have tracked changes in health insurance premiums and underlying health costs at the national level, analyzing the changes and exploring the implications for consumers. HSC researchers also draw on secondary data and the insights of Wall Street analysts and other experts to conduct these analyses.

Title	Date	Document Info
Efficiency and Quality: The Role of Controlling Health Care Cost Growth in Health Care Reform Paul B. Ginsburg	June 3, 2009	Commentary
Financial and Health Burdens of Chronic Conditions Grow Ha T. Tu, Genna R. Cohen	April 2009	Tracking Report No. 24
Price and Quality Transparency of Medical Services	April 2, 2009	Congressional Testimony
More Nonelderly Americans Face Problems Affording Prescription Drugs Laurie E. Felland, James D. Reschovsky	January 2009	Tracking Report No. 22
Living on the Edge: Health Care Expenses Strain Family Budgets Peter J. Cunningham, Carolyn Miller, Alwyn Cassil	December 2008	Research Brief No. 10
Rising Rates of Chronic Health Conditions: What Can Be Done? Alwyn Cassil	November 2008	Issue Brief No. 125
Massachusetts Health Reform: High Costs and Expanding Expectations May Weaken Employer Support Debra A. Draper, Laurie E. Felland, Allison Liebhaber, Johanna Lauer	October 2008	Issue Brief No. 124
Trade-Offs Getting Tougher: Problems Paying Medical Bills Increase for U.S. Families, 2003-2007 Peter J. Cunningham	September 2008	Tracking Report No. 21
Don't Break Out the Champagne: Continued Slowing of Health Care Spending Growth Unlikely to Last Paul B. Ginsburg	January/February 2008	Journal ArticleHealth Affairs
Massachusetts Health Reform: Employers, Lower-Wage Workers and Universal Coverage Laurie E. Felland, Debra A. Draper, Allison Liebhaber	July 2007	Issue Brief No. 113
Commercial Health Plans' Care Management Activities and the Impact on Costs, Quality and Outcomes Debra A. Draper	April 11, 2007	Congressional Testimony
Insurance Premiums and Insurance Coverage of Near-Poor Children Jack Hadley, James D. Reschovsky, Peter J. Cunningham, Genevieve Kenney, Melanie Au	Winter 2006/2007	Journal ArticleInquiry
Self-Pay Markets in Health Care: Consumer Nirvana or Caveat Emptor? Ha T. Tu, Jessica H. May	Feb. 6, 2007	Journal ArticleHealth Affairs
Shopping for Price in Medical Care Paul B. Ginsburg	Feb. 6, 2007	Journal ArticleHealth Affairs
Tracking Health Care Costs: Spending Growth Remains Stable at High Rate in 2005 Paul B. Ginsburg, Bradley C. Strunk, Michelle I. Banker, John P. Cookson	October 2006	Data Bulletin No. 33
Tracking Health Care Costs: Continued Stability But at High Rates in 2005 Paul B. Ginsburg, Bradley C. Strunk, Michelle I. Banker, John P. Cookson	Oct. 3, 2006	Journal ArticleHealth Affairs
How Consumers Shop for Health Care When They Pay Out of Pocket: Evidence from the LASIK Self-Pay Market	July 18, 2006	Congressional Testimony
Strategies to Enhance Price and Quality Competition in Health Care: Lessons Learned from Tracking Local Markets Cara S. Lesser, Paul B. Ginsburg	June 2006	Journal ArticleJournal of Health Politics, Policy and Law
Medicare Fees and Physicians' Medicare Service Volume: Beneficiaries Treated and Services per Beneficiary Jack Hadley, James D. Reschovsky	June 2006	Journal ArticleInternational Journal of Health Care Finance and Economics
11th Annual Wall Street Comes to Washington Conference	June 21, 2006	Conference Transcript
The Effect of Population Aging on Future Hospital Demand Bradley C. Strunk, Paul B. Ginsburg, Michelle I. Banker	March 28, 2006	Journal ArticleHealth Affairs
A Decade of Tracking Health System Change Paul B. Ginsburg, Cara S. Lesser	March 2006	Commentary No. 2
Consumer Price Shopping in Health Care	March 15, 2006	Congressional Testimony
Hospital Payment Systems: Will Payers Like the Future Better than the Past? Len M. Nichols, Ann S. O'Malley	January/February 2006	Journal ArticleHealth Affairs
Tracking Health Care Costs: Spending Growth Stabilizes at High Rate in 2004 Bradley C. Strunk, Paul B. Ginsburg, John P. Cookson	June 2005	Data Bulletin No. 29
Tracking Health Care Costs: Declining Growth Trend Pauses in 2004 Bradley C. Strunk, Paul B. Ginsburg, John P. Cookson	June 21, 2005	Journal ArticleHealth Affairs
Medicare Seniors Much Less Willing to Limit Physician-Hospital Choice for Lower Costs Ha T. Tu	June 2005	Issue Brief No. 96
An Update on Americans' Access to Prescription Drugs Marie C. Reed	May 2005	Issue Brief No. 95
Medicaid Cost Containment and Access to Prescription Drugs Peter J. Cunningham	May/June 2005	Journal ArticleHealth Affairs
More Americans Willing to Limit Physician-Hospital Choice for Lower Medical Costs Ha T. Tu	March 2005	Issue Brief No. 94
High Cost of Medical Care Prompts Consumers to Seek Alternatives Ha T. Tu, J. Lee Hargraves	December 2004	Data Bulletin No. 28
Tracking Health Care Costs: Spending Growth Slowdown Stalls in First Half of 2004 Bradley C. Strunk, Paul B. Ginsburg	December 2004	Issue Brief No. 91
Controlling Health Care Costs Paul B. Ginsburg	Oct. 14, 2004	Commentary
Rising Health Costs, Medical Debt and Chronic Conditions Ha T. Tu	September 2004	Issue Brief No. 88
Managed Care Rebound? Recent Changes in Health Plans' Cost Containment Strategies Glen P. Mays, Gary Claxton, Justin White	Aug. 11, 2004	Journal ArticleHealth Affairs
Tough Trade-offs: Medical Bills, Family Finances and Access to Care Jessica H. May, Peter J. Cunningham	June 2004	Issue Brief No. 85
Hearing on Pricing Practices of Hospitals	June 22, 2004	Congressional Testimony
Tracking Health Care Costs: Trends Turn Downward in 2003 Bradley C. Strunk, Paul B. Ginsburg	June 2004	Data Bulletin No. 27
Tracking Health Care Costs: Trends Turn Downward in 2003 Bradley C. Strunk, Paul B. Ginsburg	June 9, 2004	Journal ArticleHealth Affairs
Employers Shift Rising Health Care Costs to Workers: No Long-term Solution in Sight Lydia E. Regopoulos, Sally Trude	May 2004	Issue Brief No. 83
Patient Cost-Sharing Innovations: Promises and Pitfalls Sally Trude, Joy M. Grossman	January 2004	Issue Brief No. 75
Tracking Health Care Costs: Trends Slow in First Half of 2003 Bradley C. Strunk, Paul B. Ginsburg	December 2003	Data Bulletin No. 26
Patient Cost Sharing: How Much is Too Much? Sally Trude	December 2003	Issue Brief No. 72
Patient Cost Sharing: Promises and Pitfalls	Dec. 3, 2003	Conference Transcript
The Health Care Cost-Coverage Conundrum Paul B. Ginsburg, Len M. Nichols	Fall 2003	Annual Essay 2002-03
Disease Management: A Leap of Faith to Lower-Cost,Higher-Quality Health Care Ashley C. Short, Glen P. Mays, Jessica Mittler	October 2003	Issue Brief No. 69
Tracking Health Care Costs	June 2003	Data Bulletin No. 25
Health Care Cost and Access Problems Intensify Cara S. Lesser, Paul B. Ginsburg	May 2003	Issue Brief No. 63
Increasing Stress on the U.S. Health Care System: Structural Crisis or Temporary? Len M. Nichols	March 10, 2003	Congressional Testimony
The End of an Era: What Became of the "Managed Care Revolution" in 2001? Cara S. Lesser, Paul B. Ginsburg, Kelly Devers	Feb. 21, 2003	Journal ArticleHealth Services Research
Association Health Plans and Alternative Ways to Increase Health Insurance Coverage Among Workers in Small Firms Len M. Nichols	Feb. 5, 2003	Congressional Testimony
Aging Plays Limited Role in Health Care Cost Trends Bradley C. Strunk, Paul B. Ginsburg	September 2002	Data Bulletin No. 23
Tracking Health Care Costs: Growth Accelerates Again in 2001 Bradley C. Strunk, Paul B. Ginsburg, Jon R. Gabel	Sept. 25, 2002	Journal ArticleHealth Affairs
Tracking Health Care Costs Bradley C. Strunk, Paul B. Ginsburg, Jon R. Gabel	September 2002	Data Bulletin No. 22
Tracking Health Care Costs	September 2002	Data Bulletin No. 22
Looking Behind the Numbers: What's Driving Health Care Costs	June 18, 2002	Testimony
Consumers Face Higher Costs As Health Plans Seek to Control Drug Spending Glen P. Mays, Robert E. Hurley, Joy M. Grossman	November 2001	Issue Brief No. 45
Tracking Health Care Costs: Bradley C. Strunk, Paul B. Ginsburg, Jon R. Gabel	September 2001	Data Bulletin No. 21 - Revised
Hospital Spending Drives Largest Health Care Cost Increase in a Decade	September 26, 2001
Tracking Health Care Costs Bradley C. Strunk, Paul B. Ginsburg, Jon R. Gabel	September 26th 2001	Health Affairs
Tracking Health Care Costs	September 2001
Trends In Out-Of-Pocket Spending By Insured American Workers, 1990-1997 Jon R. Gabel, Paul B. Ginsburg, Jeremy D. Pickreign, James D. Reschovsky	March/April 2001	Health Affairs
Back To The Future? New Cost and Access Challenges Emerge Cara S. Lesser, Paul B. Ginsburg	February 2001	Issue Brief No. 35
Tracking Health Care Costs:	November 2000	Data Bulletin No. 20
Tracking Health Care Costs: Christopher Hogan, Paul B. Ginsburg, Jon R. Gabel	November/December 2000	Health Affairs
Update on the Nation’s Health Care System: Cara S. Lesser, Paul B. Ginsburg	November/December 2000	Health Affairs
Wall Street Comes to Washington:	September 2000	Issue Brief No. 31
Wall Street Analysts Bullish on Managed Care, Bearish on Revolution Health Care Information Technology	June 22, 2000	Conference Executive Summary
Fifth Annual Wall Street Comes to Washington:	June 21, 2000	Conference Transcript
Tracking Health Care Costs: Paul B. Ginsburg	November 1999	Issue Brief No. 23
Update on the Nation's Health Care System:	November 16, 1999	Conference Transcript
HSC Conference Focusing on the Nation's Health Care System Finds It Is in Tremendous Turmoil	November 19, 1999	Conference Executive Summary
Health Spending: Paul B. Ginsburg	January/February 1999	Health Affairs
Wall Street Comes to Washington:	September 1999	Issue Brief No. 21
Wall Street Analysts Predict Several Years of Higher Health Plan Premiums	June 10, 1999	Conference Executive Summary
Fourth Annual Wall Street Comes to Washington:	June 9, 1999	Conference Transcript
Wall Street Comes to Washington:	December 1998	Issue Brief No. 17
Trends in the Cost of Employer-Sponsored Coverage M. Susan Marquis, Stephen H. Long	Fall 1998	Data Bulletin No. 14
Despite Fears, Costs Rise Only Modestly in 1998	Fall 1998	Data Bulletin No. 13
How Widespread Is Managed Competition? Stephen H. Long, M. Susan Marquis	Summer 1998	Data Bulletin No. 12
Tracking Health Care Costs: Paul B. Ginsburg, Jon R. Gabel	September/October 1998	Health Affairs
The Role of Employers in Community Health Care Systems Jon B. Christianson	July/August 1998	Health Affairs
Trends in Managed Care Coverage in Small Firms	Winter 1998	Data Bulletin No. 09
Tracking Small-Firm Coverage, 1989-1996 Paul B. Ginsburg, Jon R. Gabel, Kelly A. Hunt	January/February 1998	Health Affairs
Small Employers and Their Health Benefits, 1988-1996: Jon R. Gabel, Paul B. Ginsburg, Kelly A. Hunt	September/October 1997	Health Affairs
Tracking Health Care Costs: Paul B. Ginsburg, Jeremy D. Pickreign	July/August 1997	Health Affairs
Health Care Costs:	June 1997	Issue Brief No. 10
Patients, Profits and Health System Change:	May 1997	Issue Brief No. 09
The Dynamics of Market Level Change Paul B. Ginsburg	April 1997	Journal of Health Politics, Policy and Law
Tracking Health Care Costs:	January 1997	Issue Brief No. 06
A Primer on Understanding Health Care Cost Trends:	December 1996	Issue Brief No. 05
Tracking Health Care Costs Paul B. Ginsburg, Jeremy D. Pickreign	Fall 1996	Health Affairs
Snapshots of Change in Fifteen Communities: Paul B. Ginsburg	Summer 1996	Health Affairs
Snapshots of Change in Fifteen Communities: Debra J. Lipson, Jeanne M. De Sa	Summer 1996	Health Affairs
Health System Change: Paul B. Ginsburg, Joy M. Grossman	Winter 1995	Health Affairs