Health care affordability is key for access to care and health equity. The Center for American Progress researches and supports policies that would lower health care costs for consumers and make health care more affordable and efficient. The following research and analyses outline opportunities to lower health care costs.
Policymakers could make behavioral health care, including mental health services, more affordable and accessible by enforcing network adequacy and parity provisions, lowering patient costs, and making networking with insurers more attractive for providers.
Prescription Drug Reform Is a Women’s Economic Security Issue
Lowering the cost of prescription drugs would ensure that women and their families are able to access needed health care while also bolstering their economic security.
Fact Sheet: Top 10 Ways To Improve Health and Health Equity
To improve health and well-being, policymakers must act to address inequities, infrastructure, and social determinants of health that contribute to poor health.
Policies to strengthen the nation’s health must ensure that individuals and communities are healthy, thriving, and inclusive through long-term, sustained investments.
Americans Will See Health Premiums Rise Sharply Unless Congress Acts Soon
Unless Congress acts soon to extend the American Rescue Plan subsidies, marketplace enrollees will face higher health care costs in 2023 and 3 million people will become uninsured.
Congress Can Expand Health Coverage and Lower Health Costs Now
The reconciliation package should ensure that millions don’t lose enhanced financial assistance and should expand eligibility for marketplace subsidies.
Congress Can Act Now To Lower Drug Costs by Allowing Medicare To Negotiate Prices
Reforms to let Medicare negotiate prices, cap out-of-pocket costs for prescription drugs, and limit insulin cost-sharing would make lifesaving drugs more affordable.
