The Impact of Air Quality on Hospital Spending
Air pollution is harmful to human health, but little is known about the costs of pollution-related health care. If such care imposes a significant burden on insurance companies and employers, they would have substantial stakes in improving air quality. Reduced medical spending could also benefit public programs such as Medicare and Medicaid. This study estimated the amount of medical spending by private health insurers and public purchasers, such as Medicare, that is related to air pollution. Specifically, the authors determined how much failing to meet air quality standards cost various purchasers of hospital care in California over 2005-2007. The results indicate that substantial reductions in hospital spending can be achieved through reductions in air pollution.
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Document Details
- Copyright: RAND Corporation
- Availability: Available
- Print Format: Paperback
- Paperback Pages: 76
- List Price: $23.00
- Paperback Price: $18.40
- Paperback ISBN/EAN: 9780833049292
- Document Number: TR-777-WFHF
- Year: 2010
- Series: Technical Reports
Contents
Chapter One
Introduction
Chapter Two
Background
Chapter Three
Analytic Approach
Chapter Four
Results
Chapter Five
Conclusions
Appendix A
Results Within Regions and by Detailed Payer Type
Appendix B
Results for Specific Health Plans
Appendix C
Additional Details for Analysis Step 2
Appendix D
Payer Category Assignment
This work was sponsored by the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation. The research was conducted in RAND Health, a division of the RAND Corporation.
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