Issue Briefs
Date of this Version
6-16-2020
Abstract
In the run-up to the presidential election, the affordability of health care remains a top concern of the American voting public. But how do we know when health care is affordable? On a policy level, how do we set a standard for affordability that can be implemented in a reformed system? Sometimes policy debates about affordability focus only on whether insurance premiums are affordable, although consumers tend to be concerned about both premiums and out-of-pocket costs. At Penn LDI’s Medicare for All and Beyond conference, a panel of researchers, policy experts, and consumer advocates discussed and debated affordability in theory and practice. What emerged was a clearer understanding of the value judgments needed, friction points encountered, and principles that policymakers should apply to ensure that health coverage is affordable. This issue brief summarizes the panel’s insights.
Document Type
Brief
License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-No Derivative Works 4.0 License.
Keywords
"health care, health insurance, health cost, health economics, health reform"
View On LDI Website
https://ldi.upenn.edu/brief/setting-standards-affordable-health-care
Included in
American Politics Commons, Economic Policy Commons, Health and Medical Administration Commons, Health Economics Commons, Health Policy Commons, Health Services Administration Commons, Health Services Research Commons, Public Policy Commons
Date Posted: 06 July 2020