Today, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Actuary testified before the House Budget Committee and reiterated his views about the Affordable Care Act. His testimony reaffirmed that millions of previously uninsured Americans will gain coverage, Medicare will be stronger, and the rate of health care spending will decrease. But as we’ve noted on the blog in the past, we disagree with some of the Actuary’s other conclusions. Here’s why:
In previous analyses of the Affordable Care Act, the Actuary discounts proposals that other independent experts credit with getting at the root causes of health care cost growth. The Affordable Care Act, for example:
- Creates new, competitive state-based insurance Exchanges. Exchanges will enable individuals and small businesses to pool together and use their market strength to buy coverage at a lower cost, the same way large employers do today.
- Establishes ways for Medicare to adopt cutting-edge payment reforms, such as the new Innovation Center. These benefits will spill over to the private sector.
- Creates Accountable Care Organizations and other ways to promote value – so that patients are getting better care not just expensive care. The plan gives health care providers incentives to coordinate care to improve the quality of care as well as efficiency.
These policies will bring down health care costs, but they are undervalued by the Actuary.
Source: http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/2011/01/26/health-care-costs
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