Washington, D.C. –May 4, 2023 – Doctors provide important care and life-saving treatments, but like everyone in health care, they can do better. A new AHIP resource highlights several Independent studies that show that low-value care – services that have little or no clinical benefit or where the risk of harm from the service outweighs the potential benefit – still occurs, accounting for an estimated $75.7 billion to $101.2 billion in costs.
The Task Force on Low-Value Care, for example, estimates that 5 low-value health care services account for more than $25 billion in avoidable annual expenditures, which includes $14.7 billion unnecessarily spent on branded drugs, and $9.5 billion In avoidable spending
for unneeded pre-surgery tests and imaging services.
The top 5 low-value clinical services, as identified by the Task Force, are:
- Diagnostic Testing and Imaging Before Low-Risk Surgery
- Vitamin D Screening Tests
- Prostate-Specific Antigen Testing for Men 75+
- Imaging for Low-Back Pain within 6 Weeks of Onset
- Branded Drug Use when Chemically Equivalent Generics are Available
Health insurance providers are working hard with doctors, hospitals, and others to implement innovative solutions that streamline processes, improve the quality of care, reduce costs, and enhance patients’ overall care experience.
About AHIP
AHIP is the national association whose members provide health care coverage, services, and solutions to hundreds of millions of Americans every day. We are committed to market-based solutions and public-private partnerships that make health care better and coverage more affordable and accessible for everyone. Visit www.ahip.org to learn how working together, we are Guiding Greater Health.