About Dollars and $ense

About Dollars and $ense
	Rising Health Care Costs
	Blue Cross Blue Shield Association
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Health care expenditures make up more than 14 percent of the Gross Domestic Product. Today, Americans spend more on health care than they do on food.

The rising costs of health care in New Jersey and throughout the nation are driven by many factors, including: health plans, hospitals, doctors, employers, legislators, lawyers, and consumers, just to name a few. The reasons costs are rising can range from fraud to the cost of the latest technologies.

		"At a time when the number of people without insurance is growing, I applaud Horizon BCBSNJ's effort to put the facts on the table, so we can all work together to address this issue, which deprives millions of affordable health care. It's important to remember that we all have a part in fixing this problem and can make a difference by working together." – Senator Frank Lautenberg, 2003

		"This is a most important dialogue. By bringing together all the stakeholders — providers, consumers, and insurers — we will have an honest and extensive discussion of difficult issues and a debate that should have an impact on the development of sound public health care policies." – Senator Jon Corzine, 2003

One result of these rising costs is that, while some of our citizens receive the best care, others among us receive inconsistent, inadequate care, or no care at all, because they simply can't afford it. All of us see many other symptoms of the growing cost crisis: a growing population of uninsured, doctors on strike, states dropping coverage, and millions of Americans using their wage increases to pay for increased premiums.

At Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey, we believe that the first step in addressing the health care cost crisis is for everyone to understand what is driving health care costs. Our research indicates that only nine percent of New Jersey residents consider themselves "very knowledgeable" about their benefits and the costs associated with health care.

That's why Horizon BCBSNJ is launching its Health Care Dollars and $ense campaign — to educate everyone in the health care system on the reasons health care costs continue to rise and the choices we all can make to help make health care more affordable.

Horizon BCBSNJ is committed to:

• Providing objective information and research on the nature of the crisis in health care costs and its impact on all health care constituents.
• Presenting the facts on the real causes behind the continuing increase in health care costs.
• Opening the dialogue among health care constituents as to what can be done to make health care more accessible and affordable.

Horizon BCBSNJ continues our commitment to offering affordable products and working with employers, providers, and consumers to find more ways to improve the availability of cost-effective health care.

We must all work together to create practical solutions to keep health care affordable for all Americans. Without a constructive dialogue, we are left with a "blame game" and continued rising costs.