Paying for Care

The Commonwealth Fund Task Force on Payment and Delivery System Reform identified policy interventions for making the U.S. health care delivery system more affordable, equitable and higher quality.

As partners in the Going Below The Surface Forum, AcademyHealth and the National Pharmaceutical Council (NPC) consider the drivers of health spending in the United States through salons focused on challenging questions – which may not have immediate or universally accepted answers – as we attempt to push the conversation beyond the usual stakeholder posturing.

Medical care providers recognize the importance of discussing cost of care issues with their patients but have struggled to incorporate these conversations into clinical practice. This second of two posts focuses on integrating cost of care discussions into the clinical flow.

This is the first of a two-part series focused on the importance of screening for and addressing cost of care issues for patients and caregivers. It addresses both the obstacles and opportunities for incorporating cost of care discussions into clinical practice.