Healthcare spending in the United States has continued to increase over the past several decades at a rate that far exceeds that of other nations. People have seen these increases on everything, from the cost of insurance premiums going up, to the costs of drug prices and office visits increasing. To familiarize yourself with some of the many areas and ways costs and spending are increasing, please review the NHE fact sheet.

• Discuss 1 area that you or someone close to you have seen these increases in costs.
• Examine these increased costs from the perspective of the leader of a healthcare organization. Consider the following:
  • Why do you feel there was an increase in the cost?
  • What, if anything, could have been done to react to the rise in costs and decrease their impact on the organization?
  • What can the organization do to help avoid these increases in the future?