Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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Page 4 How Much You Know, Health Can What i? Amerira'c nnmhor health problem? Costs! They keep going up, and this contributes to the overall inflation that grips our economy. But unless you've been in the hospital recently and have taken a good, close look at your bill, you may not be fully aware of how much it costs to get sick. The following quiz prepared by the Health Insurance Institute of Washington, D.C. is designed to test your understanding of health care cost inflation?what's causing it, what it means to you, and what you can do about it. After taking the test, see the answers at the right. 1. The largest share of the health care dollar goes to hospital care. a. True b. False 2. Hospital room rates have increased how much over the past decade? a. 33 percent b. 193 percent c. 88 percent 3. Which of the following explains why hospital costs keep rising? a. Increased wages of hospital personnel b. Advances in medical science and technology c. Increased ability of people to pay for care because of private health insurance and government programs (i.e., Medicare and Medicaid) d. Unneeded hospital beds e. Duplication of facilities f. Greater use of facilities and services g. All of the above 4. Another basic reason for the rise in medical costs is that health care is largely a noncompetitive market. a. True b. False 5. What percentage of the more than one million hospital beds in the U.S. are unused on any given day? a. 10 percent b. 3 percent c. 25 percent 6. America has an excess of medical specialists and not enough physicians in family practice. a. True b. False Do About e Costs? 7. Is it always necessary to be hospitalized to have surgery? a. Yes b. No 8. Most states require hospitals to operate within a budget and justify their spending. a. True b. False 9. How many people have private health insurance protection? a. 50 percent b. 90 percent c. 25 percent 10. Health insurance benefits are not keeping up with medical care costs. a. True b. False 11. The best health insurance policy is one that covers every expense, no matter how small. a. True b. False 12. As an individual, there is little I can do to hold down the costs of health care. a. True b. False 13. As a patient, I should never discuss with my doctor how much a medical treatment or service should cost. a. True b. False 14. As ig the bills, I haw* nn * u~... ' ?* auvui IIUTT long I st a. Trub. Fals 15. Since health insurance pays so much of my hospital bill, do I need to check it for accuracy? a. Yes b. No AFETY COREB January 1, 1981 throuj Clinton No. 1 Clinton No. 2 Lydia Bailey Clinton Shop/Offices/Warehouse Geneva No. 1 Geneva No. 2 TOTAL Medical Cases?Work related accidents tr< Lost Time?A work related accident in w the next regularly scheduled shift because HOW DID YOU F How Much Do Yoi About Health C< 1. (a) True. According to recent figures, hospi health care expenses. This is why private healt greatest emphasis on coverage of hospital car insurers are working hard to contain hospital c 2. (b) Hospital room rates have gone up faster care. An example: A hospital that was charging $ per day 10 years later. 3. (h) All of the factors listed contribute to f 4. (a) True. Normal free market forces do noto large, physicians, not patients, determine whai 5. (c) Nearly one in four of the nation's hospita Excess hospital beds are a major contributor t 6. (a) True. Steps are being taken to encou practice. Another part of the manpower problen cians?too many clustered near large teaching c and rural areas. 7. (b) No. Many minor operations and proce formed as an outpatient. Consult with your ph> 8. (b) False. To date, most states do not. Howe the state have their budgets and rates reviewed a cost commission. This system is called Prospei cessful program is in Maryland. 9. (b) Eight out of 10 Americans?more than more forms of private health insurance. 10. (b) False. Health insurance benefits are medical care costs. To illustrate, in 1978 th payment for every insured person was almost foi other hand, medical care costs in 1978, as meas all medical care items, were slightly over two t 11. (b) False. Many economists believe we wo Its I*1- ? ? ?1 * \j?anvj heinle nci(j iiuiu iicdiiii costs aown?it v costs ourselves, hrough deductibles, and if up t proportion of the cost of treatment. 12. (b) False. There is much you can do, likt exercise regularly, eat properly. You can also I activities or te work of voluntary health agencie value of such things as hospital pre-admission I and alternative health care programs. 13. (b) False. It is entirely appropriate and di cost of the services or treatments he or she i expensive means of treating your ailments (e.g 14. (b) False. If everyone who was hospitalize! necessary, the impact on health care expenses w many ways, it's the little things that count: the ex nursing supervision, etc. No responsible physician would ask you to lea so, of course. But you should also know that *tn absolutely necessary to be in the hospital, most p most sensible attitude we can take toward hosp toward any kind of medicine: just enough to dc 15. (a) Yes. You should never passively accep medical bill?regardless of who is paying. Ho; anybody else. So, ask to see your bill to make address, admission date, insurance company ar Then, check all the subtotals, such as room-andanything on the bill you don't understand, ask an< are not paying for the hospital care out of your o that you won't pay for any excessive charges in higher insurance premiums and general inflatic \ OARD ?h May 31, 1981 MEDICALS LOST TIME 8 2 23 10 13 4 6 3 3 2 13 3 13 6 79 30 jated by a physician. hich an employee cannot meet of the accident. tATE? j Know DStS? tal costs now comprise 40 percent of h insurance historically has put the e. And for the same reason, health osts. than any other component of medical 43adayin 1969 was charging$127 ligher hospital expenses. perateinthe health care area. By and t services are needed. I beds are not in use on any given day. o rising health costs. rage more doctors to go into family i is iiic uneven uibiriDUtion OT pnySIenters and too few in the inner cities idures can be safely and easily perrsician about this. ;ver, in several states, all hospitals in nd approved in advance by a hospital :tive Budget Review. The most suc181 million?are protected by one or growing at a much faster rate than e average health insurance benefit iir times what it was in 1967. On the ured by the Consumer Price Index for imes their total in 1967. uld all use health care more prudentve took responsibility for some minor o a reasonable level we shared some ! staying healthy. Get enough sleep, Decome involved in health planning s. Also, become informed about the :esting, second opinions for surgery, ssirable to ask your doctor about the recommends, and if there are less generic drugs), j stayed just one day longer than was ould be considerable. Remember, in tra meals, the extra laundry, the extra ve before it was medically safe to do idies have shown that where it is not >eoole do better at homp anvwau Tho itai care should be the same as that ) the job and no more, t a hospital biil?or any other kind of ipitals can make mistakes just like sure all items, such as your name, id identification number are correct, care charges and services. If there is d have it explained. Just because you wn pocket, don't think for a moment the end. You will, both in terms of >n.