Preventative Health Activities: Available Information on Federal Spending, Cost Savings, and International Comparisons has Limitations
Abstract
Preventive health activities have received attention for their potential to improve health outcomes or lower health care expenditures. While there is no widespread agreement on what constitutes preventive health activities, in this report they include clinical preventive services, such as immunizations provided in clinical settings, and community-oriented preventive health activities, such as health education media campaigns. A preventive health activity is considered cost saving if the activity costs less than the costs averted by it; an activity is cost-effective if it achieves benefits in a less costly way than alternatives. HHS, VA, and DOD administer programs that include preventive health activities. GAO was asked to report on preventive health activities. This report provides available information and discusses the limitations of this information regarding (1) preventive health activities in programs administered by HHS, VA, and DOD and the departments' spending on such activities; (2) reported cost savings from and cost effectiveness of preventive health activities; and (3) U.S. spending on preventive health activities compared to that of other countries.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Dec 01, 2012
- Accession Number
- AD1176114
Entities
People
- Cathy Hamann
- George Bogart
- Hernan Bozzolo
- Katherine Iritani
- Kim Yamane
- Toni Harrison
Organizations
- United States Government Accountability Office