50 Essential Web Resources on the Health “Care vs. Cost” Debate

One of the most heated debates going on right now has to do with health care. There is a great deal of consternation right now related to how health costs can be brought under control, while maintaining quality of health care. This becomes especially important as many Americans find their costs rising — to more per person than any other developed country. And, even with all of these costs, most rankings do not even place the U.S. in the top 30 countries in terms of its health care system.

As a result, the care vs. cost issues becomes even more important, since some are concerned that Americans pay a great deal for care that may not even be the best available. Many MHAs, politicians and activists are struggling with the question of how to balance care and costs. Here are 50 Web resources that can help you learn more about health care costs and care:

Health care costs

Here are some Web resources focused on health care costs.

1. Health Care Cost Monitor: Looks at health care costs, analyzing where they come from.
2. AARP Magazine: “Why Does Health Care Cost So Much?” offers an in-depth look at health care costs, and considers our quality of care.
3. The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation: “U.S. Health Care Costs: Background Brief” provides an excellent overview of health care dollars, and where the money is spent.
4. Daily Finance: “Care vs. Cost: How Much Is Too Much to Treat Cancer?” looks at the cost-benefit analysis approach to how much is spent treating cancer.
5. The New York Times: “Why Does Health Care Cost So Much?” Another look at the reasons behind high health care costs.
6. USA Today: “Health care: Lowering costs for old could raise them for young” addresses the issues behind providing lower cost health care for the aging at the expense of the young.
7. The Washington Post: “Coverage vs. Costs” explores issues surrounding health coverage and the costs that come with it.
8. Cafe Hayek: “Health care vs. health insurance” looks at the cost of health care, and the use of insurance.
9. Forbes: “Health Care: Costs and Reform” considers what we pay in health care, and the sort of service we receive.
10. Reuters: “Heart patients worry about health costs” addresses the problems with getting care when costs are high.
11. Los Angeles Times: “Rising health insurance costs hit small employers too” explores the issues of covering care from a small business standpoint.
12. Heath Care from Change.org: “Turns Out, Immigrants’ Health Care Doesn’t Cost That Much” looks at the care immigrants receive, and its costs.
13. WebMD: “Kids’ Allergy Shots Cut Health Care Costs” looks at how preventative care can reduce costs.
14. View From The Right: “The Fundamental Problem of Health Care Costs, Which Is Never Discussed By Either Side” considers the basics of health costs, and the things that are ignored by both sides of the issue.
15. Time: “Why Is Health Care So Expensive? Let Us Count the Conspirators” looks at the fact that so often we’d like to blame one source for the evil of the cost of care. But really, there are a lot of reasons working together.

Health Care Stats

Get a better understand of the health care picture, in terms of coverage and illness.

16. CDC: The Centers for Disease Control has an entire section on health stats.
17. HealthPAC online: You can find some interesting statistics on health care in the U.S., from health coverage to expenditures.
18. PreventDisease.com: Get a good idea of what we spend money on in terms of care and whether it is effective.
19. World Health Organization: Compare our country to other countries in terms of care, coverage and costs.
20. San Francisco Examiner: A helpful piece fact-checking health care debate stats claims made by politicians from both parties.
21. U.S. Census Bureau: Features a look at health insurance stats and information related to health coverage and cost.
22. National Geographic: Provides an infographic starkly comparing costs in the U.S. to other countries, and also includes information on often patients see the doctor, as well as life expectancy.
23. U.S. Government Info: About.com looks at health insurance stats, and tackles the question of what they actually mean.
24. National Institutes of Health: Provides a look at health insurance data, including coverage, benefits and costs.
25. Appomattox News: Health statistics relating to the high costs related to obesity.

Health care models and cost solutions

Part of the debate is over what kind of health care system we should have, as well as the types of solutions available to keep health costs under control while maintaining — or improving — care.

26. The White House: President Obama and his team lay out their ideas for a health care system overhaul.
27. The New York Times: Look at a comparison of different health care proposals.
28. BusinessWeek: Offers its own 10 ideas for cutting health care costs — on your own.
29. Ludwig von Mises Institute: Provides a four-step system that to create a free market in health care.
30. GOP.gov: The Republican Party offers its take on how the health care system can be fixed.
31. The Boston Globe: Looks at a single-payer system, and how it might help with the cost vs. care issue.
32. timesnews.net: Robert Funke, M.D., addresses the benefits of a single payer system.
33. Slate: Michael Kinsley argues against a single payer health care system, and looks at the advantages of “modest reform.”
34. NPR: A good look at universal coverage in Massachusetts, where there is a program that allows for competition, while using the government to supplement, making coverage affordable.
35. Reader’s Digest: 18 ideas that could help fix health care.
36. The Huffington Post: Looks at how we could fix health care, starting out by following the lead of Grand Junction, Colorado.

Blogs Addressing Health Reform

If you want more on the debate over costs and care in the health system, you can read these blogs for interesting insights and more debate.

37. The Health Care Blog: Ins and outs of health industry and reform attempts.
38. Physicians for a National Health Program: These doctors want a complete health care overhaul.
39. The Alan Katz Health Care Reform Blog: A look at some of the issues in health reform, costs and coverage.
40. Health Care Renewal: A look at new ideas in health care.
41. Health Care Rx: The Washington Post follows health reform and the debate.
42. The Health Care Reform Debate Blog: A gathering place for information on health reform and the debate surrounding care vs. cost.
43. Healthcare NOW!: Organizing health care reform and addressing the debate.
44. Healthcare Debate Blog: Different viewpoints on health care and the debate surrounding cost vs. care.
45. Health Affairs Blog: Addresses the issues surrounding health care and the current debate surrounding reform.
46. Health Blog: The Wall Street Journal looks at health policy, and the debate around health care reform.
47. HealthLawProf Blog: Learn more about health policy, and look at the ins and outs of the reform debate.
48. John Goodman’s Health Policy Blog: Looks at health care, and the debate around care and costs.
49. Guaranteed Healthcare Blog: The California Nurses Association runs this blog on health care reform.
50. Consumer Directed Healthcare: A look at the health care reform debate and other issues.

Tagged as: Health, Health care, health care debate, health care reform, Health Policy

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