There's no question that health care is unaffordable for many people, and the lack of price transparency has made it impossible to know where our health care dollars are going — until now. The Total Cost of Care Geographic and Medical Group and Clinic highlights from the Washington Health Alliance help us to understand what we're spending to deliver health care across the state.
About the Total Cost of Care Reports
These reports show what Washington state spent to deliver health care in calendar years 2018, 2019, and 2020 on a per member per month (PMPM) basis by geographic location or a per patient per month (PPPM) basis attributed to a patient's primary care provider (PCP). Combining patient costs such as deductibles, coinsurance, and copayments with the payments made by multiple health plans, the reports show costs by different categories of care such as inpatient, outpatient, and professional services, then broken down by certain types of care. With this information, state, regional and local policymakers, and health care purchasers and providers can begin to understand:
- How the results compare
- What services are responsible for the highest spending
- Which populations face a higher disease burden than others
- Where to prioritize efforts to reduce costs
Learn more about the Total Cost of Care Geographic and Medical Group and Clinic highlights.