The high cost of health care: Idaho business and political leaders gather to discuss solutions

State business and political leaders look on as experts share affordability research findings and potential solutions

Rising costs are top of mind for most of us. Individuals, families and businesses are all feeling the effects of having to spend more for just about every good or service, including health care. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, health care prices have outpaced price growth in the rest of the economy for 20 years. In the past year alone, while the cost of all goods and services in the U.S. rose 3%, hospital costs rose nearly 7%.

RBSI President Mark Ruszczyk addresses lawmakers and business leaders on the importance of improving health care affordability

To address these issues, Regence BlueShield of Idaho and the Regence Health Policy Center hosted an affordability summit in Boise, featuring experts from the Health Care Cost Institute, an independent nonprofit research institute, and the Purchaser Business Group on Health, an organization that represents large employers as they navigate keeping costs of care sustainable for their employees.

Key takeaways from the discussion include:

• Per-person spending in Idaho on home health grew 275% from 2000 to 2019, while hospital spending in that same period grew 171%.
• Prescription drug spending per person in Idaho grew 50% from 2018 through 2022.
• The cost of health insurance remains the top concern for small business owners.
• Employers are mobilizing to address health system consolidation and providers charging higher fees for the same services at different sites.

Regence BlueShield of Idaho President Mark Ruszczyk spoke on concrete actions Regence is taking to maintain health care affordability, including helping hospitals improve access to select drugs at lower prices so savings can be passed on to consumers, and switching members to lower-cost biosimilar medications.

By the end of the summit, attendees were armed with what one lawmaker described as the most detailed and up-to-date health care spending statistics he’s seen. The summit sparked meaningful conversations about how fully addressing rising health care costs and pursuing greater affordability is a team sport – and that patients, payers, providers, purchasers and policymakers are all essential members of the team.