The Work Continues

The increase in health spending over the previous half century is likely to continue. This sustained increase and high level of spending on healthcare in the United States has been the subject of discussion and scrutiny by government officials policymakers and providers grapple with bending the cost curve. As the rate of growth in healthcare spending in the United States outpaces the growth rate in the gross domestic product (GDP), inflation, and population, the pressure on providers to become more efficient in how care is delivered will remain, and hospitals will be at the center of that scrutiny.

The New Jersey hospital data from 2006-2016 analyzed in this study validates that hospitals in the state have received that message and have acted upon it to improve the efficiency of the patient care they deliver. They have responded not only to fiscal pressures, but have also embraced the need to provide care in an efficient manner by creating more alignment with physicians and other community providers.