Health Care

In 2006, what percentage of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in the United States was attributed to health care spending?

Which of the following best describes the concept of 'supplier-induced demand' in the health care market?

In 2006, what was the largest single category of health care expenditure in the United States, accounting for 31 cents of each dollar spent?

The moral hazard problem in health care refers to the tendency for insured individuals to alter their behavior in two specific ways. One is being less careful about health. What is the other way?

What was the annual deductible for an individual under the standard plan of Medicare Part D in 2008?

Which of the following is identified as a reason for the slow productivity growth in the health care industry?

What is the estimated income elasticity of demand for health care in industrially advanced countries, according to several studies mentioned in the text?

What is the primary purpose of the diagnosis-related-group (DRG) system used by Medicare?

Health Savings Accounts (HSAs) were established by the 2003 Medicare law. To be eligible for an HSA, a worker must be covered by a health insurance plan with what characteristic?

What is the primary reason that Federal tax policy toward employer-financed health insurance is considered a 'tax subsidy'?

What is the term for the practice of physicians recommending more tests and procedures than medically warranted to protect themselves from malpractice lawsuits?

In the graphical analysis of health care with insurance, the presence of insurance shifts the demand curve and results in a lower price for the consumer. This leads to an overallocation of resources, represented by an efficiency loss. What shape represents this efficiency loss?

Which of the following is a key feature of a Preferred Provider Organization (PPO)?

What is the primary incentive for a Health Maintenance Organization (HMO) to hold down costs?

Among the industrialized nations shown in Global Perspective 21.1, which country had the highest health care spending as a percentage of GDP in 2005?

In 2007, approximately how many Americans were without health insurance coverage?

According to the text, which of the following is a labor market effect of surging health care costs?

Which of the following reform concepts for achieving universal access would require all employers to either provide a basic health insurance program or pay a special payroll tax?

What percentage of all health care expenses are paid through public or private insurance, according to the text?

Which factor is NOT listed as a peculiarity of the health care market that contributes to rising costs?

The text states that the December-to-December index of medical care prices rose by 5.2 percent in 2007, while the overall price index increased by an annual average of 3.3 percent for the 2004-2007 period. This indicates that:

What is a major reason that workers in smaller firms are less likely to have health insurance compared to workers in large firms?

Most experts attribute the relative rise in health care spending to a combination of factors. Which of the following is NOT one of the four factors listed?

What is the primary feature of the 'play-or-pay' approach to health care reform that was adopted in a novel way by Massachusetts?

In 2008, how many states had placed caps on the 'pain and suffering' portion of medical malpractice awards?

What is the main economic implication for workers when health care costs rise more rapidly than productivity?

In the context of the Medicare Part D prescription drug plan, what does the term 'donut hole' refer to?

Which of the following is an argument AGAINST a system of National Health Insurance (NHI) as presented in the chapter?

What is the estimated price elasticity of demand for health care, according to the text?

In 2006, public insurance (Medicaid, Medicare, etc.) and private insurance combined to finance what percentage of all U.S. health care spending?

What is the primary reason an aging population affects the demand for health care?

How many physicians were there per 100,000 people in the United States in 2006?

Which of the following is NOT one of the 'twin problems' related to the U.S. health care system as identified in the text?

What is a key difference between a PPO and an HMO?

The government's tax subsidy for employer-provided health insurance is estimated to boost private health insurance spending by about what amount?

In the mandatory health insurance plan enacted in Massachusetts, how are the poorest residents (those below the Federal poverty line) able to obtain insurance?

What does the text identify as a major cause of personal bankruptcies?

Which of these is NOT a characteristic of National Health Insurance (NHI) as described in the chapter?

In 2006, how many practicing physicians were there in the United States?

What is the primary economic trade-off involved in expanding access to health care?

According to the text, what happened to the breast cancer mortality rate despite new screening and treatment technologies?

In 2005, what was the projected growth rate of health care spending for the next 10 years?

Medicaid is a Federal program that provides medical benefits to certain low-income people. How is it financed?

What is the earned-income tax credit (EITC)?

What is one of the main criticisms leveled at the diagnosis-related-group (DRG) payment system?

In 2007, what was the total number of people receiving Social Security benefits?

In 2007, what was the average weekly unemployment compensation benefit?

The Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program, established in 1996, replaced the Aid for Families with Dependent Children (AFDC) program. What is a key difference between TANF and its predecessor?

The text discusses how the federal government's exclusion of employer-provided health insurance from taxation acts as a subsidy. This subsidy encourages what economic outcome?

What is the estimated total cost of obesity-related medical issues per year, with taxpayers covering more than half through Medicare and Medicaid?