WASHINGTON, Feb. 25, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- West Health, a family of nonprofit and nonpartisan organizations dedicated to lowering the cost of healthcare and enabling seniors to age successfully, is convening thought leaders and experts from business, media and policy for a national innovation summit in Washington, D.C. on April 2, 2019 to focus on common-sense solutions that address America's healthcare cost crisis.
West Health's High Costs, Broken Promises: Healthcare in America Summit will explore the impact that high healthcare costs have on individuals, businesses, the economy and the state of public health. During the day-long summit (free registration to attend or stream here), participants will map out immediate and long-term policy recommendations to deliver on the promise of improving the quality of healthcare in America, while lowering costs, including prescription drug prices.
"The exorbitant cost of healthcare is a growing national crisis and significant public health threat that demands immediate attention, smart policy and bold action," said Shelley Lyford, president and CEO of West Health. "We can no longer accept empty promises from politicians to rein in healthcare costs while more and more Americans are forced to sacrifice lifesaving treatments and even basic healthcare because they simply cannot afford it. The time for common sense reforms is long overdue."
The U.S. spends more than any other country on healthcare yet lags behind other developed nations in critical health outcomes including longevity, infant mortality and overall quality of life. According to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, healthcare costs topped more than $3.5 trillion in 2017 – $10,739 per person – accounting for 17.9% of GDP. They are expected to rise to almost 20% of GDP by 2026 if current trends continue.
The Summit will feature an unveiling of results from a new national survey from Gallup and the West Health Institute on how skyrocketing healthcare costs are impacting the daily lives of Americans, while top business and healthcare leaders will share their perspectives on how to remake the system. Speakers at the Summit include:
"This national summit will kick-start common sense reforms that have been denied, delayed or deferred because of special interests and misaligned incentives," said Tim Lash, chief strategy officer for West Health. "Holding on to the status quo while Americans continue to suffer at the hands of misguided and outdated policies is not an option, and stakeholders across the country must engage on these issues and take action."
The Summit is free to attend or stream; please visit https://hcidc.org/register/ to register.
Learn more at hcidc.org and join the conversation on Twitter using #HCcosts and #HCIDC.
About West Health
Solely funded by philanthropists Gary and Mary West, West Health is a family of nonprofit and nonpartisan organizations including the Gary and Mary West Foundation and Gary and Mary West Health Institute in San Diego, and the Gary and Mary West Health Policy Center in Washington, D.C. West Health is dedicated to lowering healthcare costs and enabling seniors to successfully age in place with access to high-quality, affordable health and support services that preserve and protect their dignity, quality of life and independence. Learn more at westhealth.org and follow @westhealth.
SOURCE West Health
