Center for American Progress Center for American Progress
Issues Domestic Health Care

Why the Savings from Health Care Reform Are Underappreciated

The lack of a whole-hearted, landslide, public embrace of health reform is surprising considering that unless your family earns over $250,000, reform costs you nothing and, the president's health care plan, if enacted, is estimated to increase the income of the average family of four by about $10,000 in 2030.

One part of the explanation for public reluctance to embrace reform may be explained by behavioral economics. Behavioral economists have found that people in most situations:

  • Undervalue future money and overvalue money now
  • Focus on losses over gains
  • Prefer the status quo over change

How does this play out in health care? Let's consider each of these behavioral factors in turn.

Read more here.

This article was originally published in The Huffington Post.

To speak with our experts on this topic, please contact:

Print: Suzi Emmerling (foreign policy and security, energy, education, immigration)
202.481.8224 or semmerling@americanprogress.org

Print: Jason Rahlan (health care, economy, civil rights, poverty)
202.481.8132 or jrahlan@americanprogress.org

Radio: John Neurohr
202.481.8182 or jneurohr@americanprogress.org

TV: Andrea Purse
202.741.6250 or apurse@americanprogress.org

Web: Erin Lindsay
202.741.6397 or elindsay@americanprogress.org

Subscribe to RSS Feeds

RSS IconSite-Wide and Issue-Specific RSS Feeds

Related Articles

Economic Snapshot for November 2009, by Christian E. Weller

Stupak Amendment Changes Abortion Status Quo, by Jessica Arons

House Health Bill Will Help Unmarried Women, by Page Gardner, Liz Weiss

Weekly Round Up: November 2 - 6, 2009

The Recession Brings Higher Unemployment to Unmarried Women , by Liz Weiss, Heather Boushey