New Study: Health Benefits Worth up to
Three Times More than Money Invested
WASHINGTON, DC (January 28, 2004) — Over the past 20 years,
each additional dollar spent on health care services has produced
$2.40 to $3.00 in tangible gains in health care, according to a
landmark new study released today by The Value Group, a
coalition of seven of the nation’s leading health organizations.
The report, titled The
Value of Investment in Health Care: Better Care, Better Lives,
reveals that without this investment, in the year 2000 alone, there
would have been 470,000 more deaths, 2.3 million more people with
disabilities, and 206 million more days spent in the hospital.
“This unprecedented study provides strong evidence that
the value generated by investments in health care greatly outweighs
the costs,” said Bryan Luce, MEDTAP International Chairman
and director of the study.
As lawmakers address rising health care costs, this groundbreaking
study provides evidence on a critical issue frequently missing from
the discussion: the value of our increasing investment in health
care.
“The continuing debate in Congress and the states over spending
on health care must consider the important benefits to society and
the value of each dollar spent,” noted Luce at a press conference
today at the National Press Club. “Policymakers, payers, and
other health care providers must work together to ensure that discussions
focus on the value of investment in health care, not simply the
cost.”
Study Results
The report – a compilation of published findings from the
top peer-reviewed journals in health and medicine supplemented with
original analysis of national data – looks at the value of
investment from multiple angles. It documents the dynamic advances
in health, lifespan and quality of life due to investments in health
care. Specifically, since 1980:
- Annual death rates declined 16%
- Life expectancy from birth increased by more than three years
- Disability rates for seniors fell 25%
- Number of days Americans spent in the hospital fell 56%
The study also indicates that the improvements in outcomes for
specific diseases have been even more striking:
- Mortality from heart attacks has been cut nearly in half
- Stroke mortality has been cut by more than a third
- Diabetes can now be managed to dramatically reduce complications
such as blindness, kidney failure, stroke, and death
- Breast cancer mortality has been cut by more than 20%
The report was compiled for The Value Group by MEDTAP
International, Inc. in collaboration with researchers at Research
Triangle Institute and Duke University. It marks the first collaboration
by members of the group, which consists of senior-level representatives
from:
- Advanced Medical Technology Association (AdvaMed)
- American College of Cardiology (ACC)
- American Hospital Association (AHA)
- Federation of American Hospitals (FAH)
- Healthcare Leadership Council (HLC)
- National Pharmaceutical Council (NPC)
- Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA)
Copies of the report are available online at http://www.medtap.com
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Please direct all media inquiries to Pat Adams, phone
(703) 620-6390.
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