The US health care system is a crazy-quilt of programs, that, when pieced together, cover to some degree, the majority--but not all—of the American people. True | False?

Explanation

The U.S. Health care system is a crazy-quilt of programs that covers some, but not all of the American people.

Children with no insurance receive health care through a program called what?

A. Medicare
B. Social Security Program
C. Maternal and Child Health Bureau
D. State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP)

Explanation

Children who might not otherwise receive medical attention may do so through the State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP).

In the year 2000, spending on health care services and products represented what percentage of the U.S. Gross Domestic Product?

A. 13.2%
B. 6.9%
C. 10.3%
D. 7.9%

Explanation

Spending on health care services and products reached $1.3 trillion in 2000, which was up 6.9 percent from the previous year. This $1.3 trillion figure represents 13.2 percent of the U.S. Gross Domestic Product (GDP), or the total value of goods and services produced that year in the U.S.

According to the graph titled, "Health Care Expenditures as a percentage of GDP", growth in the health spending share of GDP accelerated | stabilized | slowed beginning in 1993.

A. accelerated
B. stabilized
C. slowed

Explanation

Rapid growth in the health spending share of GDP stabilized beginning in 1993.

People in OECD countries pay less for health per capita than people in the United States. True | False?

Explanation

The U.S. spends more on health care per capita but ranks very low with respect to overall health system performance.

Medical care is only one factor of many that directly determines health. Which item in the list is not a direct factor?

A. diet
B. exercise
C. information technology
D. age
E. alcohol consumption
F. tobacco use

Explanation

We need to remember, however, that medical care is just one factor that determines health. Some of the others, such as heredity, lifestyle, and preferences - diet, exercise, use of tobacco and alcohol, to name a few - must be accounted for.

The year with the most number of uninsured Americans (in millions) was:

A. 1995
B. 1996
C. 1997
D. 1998
E. 1999
F. 2000

Explanation

Those who had no health insurance in 1998 accounted for 44.3 million people total in the United States.

What percentage of the Nation's health care dollar is paid out-of-pocket? Consider both direct and indirect costs when you answer.

A. 17%
B. 13%
C. 33%
D. 60%
E. 34%

Explanation

Sixty percent of the Nation's health care dollar is either paid directly out-of-pocket or indirectly through the taxes we pay.

The nation's health care dollar comes from four main sources. Which source does not belong here?

A. insurance premiums
B. health care reform
C. co-payments
D. out-of-pocket expenditures
E. taxes

Explanation

The nation’s health dollar comes from the taxes and insurance premiums we pay, as well as from our co-payments and out-of-pocket expenditures. And perhaps this is one of the most compelling reasons that health care reform is of such vital interest to researchers and the general public alike.

In the year 2000, the percentage of privately funded health expenditures was higher | lower than in 1960?

A. Higher
B. Lower

Explanation

Taking a long term view, that is, over the past 50 years, we can say that we have come to depend less on funds from private sources, especially with the inception and implementation of Medicare, in the 60’s – as this table shows.

Note that in 1960, 75.2% of total health expenditures were funded from private sources, whereas, in 2000, the percentage of privately funded health expenditures is at 54.8%.

Over the shorter term, the past 10 years, there has been a decrease from nearly 60% in 1990 to the 54.8% level in 2000.

A. 95% of the elderly
B. 20% of mothers and children
C. 87% of adolescents
D. 55% of the elderly
E. 49% of children

Explanation

We’re probably all most familiar with Medicare. This federal program provides a range of medical care benefits for persons aged 65 and over, disabled persons and their dependents and those suffering from chronic kidney disease. Medicare covers about 95% of our nation’s aged population, approximately 39 million in 2000.

Medicare pays more than half the total cost of beneficiaries' medical care. True | False?

Explanation

Medicare pays more than half the total cost of beneficiaries' medical care.

However, Medicare is not comprehensive; there are deductibles, co-insurance fees, and serious gaps in coverage.

Seniors with Medicare coverage are still responsible for many out-of-pocket expenses – most notably, and most currently newsworthy, prescription drugs and long-term care. They are the ones we have been hearing the most about in recent years.

Federal expenditures have decreased | increased between 1960 and 2000?

A. decreased
B. increased

Explanation

Public funding has generally increased over the long term from roughly 25% in 1960 to 45.2% in 2000. This increase, especially since 1965, is largely a result of greater federal expenditures and much significant rise in federal spending is accounted for by the Medicare and Medicaid Programs.

The trend here is the reverse of that for private funding.

When we look at the various categories of expenditures (health care dollars) and the percentages of total dollars spent for each in the year 2000, program Administration and Net Cost consumes which percentage of the spending on health care?

A. 22%
B. 9%
C. 32%
D. 6%
E. 19%

Explanation

The pie chart that was used to characterize where the money went shows the various categories of expenditures and the percentages of total dollars spent for each. Hospital care accounted for 32% of the health care dollar. Physician and Clinical Services accounted for 22%. Other Spending - which includes dentist services, other professional services, home health, durable medical products, over-the-counter medicines and sundries, public health, research and construction - accounted for a hefty 24% with prescription drugs at 9%, nursing home care at 7%, and program administration at 6% of the total spending.

The National Health Accounts series has many important characteristics and aims to be comprehensive because it contains some | most | all of the main components of the health care system.

A. some
B. most
C. all

Explanation

The National Health Accounts series has many important characteristics and aims to be comprehensive because it contains all of the main components of the health care system.

The National Health Accounts are associated with which agency?

A. Agency for Health Care Policy and Research
B. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS)
C. NICHSR
D. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
E. NIOSH

Explanation

For the NHA, one needs just to consult the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), formerly Health Care Financing Administration, homepage to find definitions of each category of medical service and source of funding, scope of the program, methodology of program, and source materials from which the NHA are developed. The Web site is located at http://www.hcfa.gov/stats.nhe-oact/lessons.

In order to be comprehensive, the NHA contains the following types of data: (Select the best answer)

A. personal health care expenditure data
B. personal health care expenditure data and medical research, construction of medical facilities, program administration
C. multi-dimensional personal health care, medical research, construction of medical facilities, and program administration expenditure data
D. personal health care expenditure data and geographical and age-specific data

Explanation

The NHA, includes not only personal health care expenditure data, but also that pertaining to medical research, construction of medical facilities, program administration, etc. and, they are multi-dimensional in that the data are further broken down by geography and age-levels of subjects.

When referring users to the NHA/NHE there are a number of limitations we should remember to tell them. Which item listed below is not a limitation?

A. limitations of the data
B. use of Web site
C. data definitions
D. source materials
E. methodologies used

Explanation

As is the case whenever consulting statistical information, users need to be aware of the limitations of the data. It is critical that users familiarize themselves with the definitions, sources, and methodologies used in creating the NHA in order to grasp what is being measured and how that measurement is being accomplished.