Countries around the world have realized some success in achieving the "Triple Aim": better health and better health care at lower cost. A new series of Commonwealth Fund–supported articles in the April issue of Health Affairs describes the lessons these successes hold for the U.S. health care system.
Several articles discuss the high costs of prescription drugs and strategies for controlling prices. Read about:
- European nations' use of evidence-based reviews, which appears to lead to lower drug prices;
- Australia's strategy for reviewing and covering prescription drugs, which saved money without compromising quality;
- High prices and spending on brand-name drugs in the U.S., which stem from quicker uptake of new drugs; and
- International best practices for negotiating "reimbursement contracts" with price rebates for pharmaceuticals.
You can also view our infographic comparing how selected countries are managing prescription drug costs.
Several articles in Health Affairs focus on international approaches to primary care and patients' views of their health systems. Read about:
- A survey of patients and providers in five European nations assessing how the patient-centered medical home model could improve primary care;
- Ontario's primary care reforms;
- The links between European nations' strong primary care systems, better population health, and higher spending; and
- An analysis of survey data from 11 nations, which finds that "satisfaction" with health system performance means different things to different patients.
Another series of articles examines payment and delivery system reforms. Read about:
- How European hospitals have improved upon Medicare’s hospital payment model;
- The early success of four international health care cost containment strategies;
- Lessons from efforts in the U.S. and abroad to implement value-based cost-sharing;
- How European nations assess value when considering which new medical devices and technologies to cover, and at what prices;
- Experiences with health insurance exchanges in Switzerland and the Netherlands; and
- How predictive modeling can help identify patients at higher risk of experiencing harmful and costly medical events.
