A Harvard Medical School program illustrates how a small amount invested in preventive care can reap impressive cost-saving benefits. For 17 years now, the school has sent a mobile “Family Van” to local low-income neighborhoods, offering free tests and services. The average cost per encounter that Harvard incurs is about $117, totaling $566,000 per year. However, a study has estimated that the program saved the healthcare system about $20 million last year.
Part of that huge estimated savings figure comes from the assumption that about 80% of the patients would otherwise receive their care in ERs, where similar care would cost about $800 more per patient. The remainder of the savings was estimated by assigning value to the years added to patients’ lives as a result of the care. Regardless of how those numbers were derived, the benefits of the Family Van, and similar programs across the country, cannot be ignored. They are keeping uninsured patients out of emergency rooms and assisting them in managing chronic conditions. More communities would be wise to invest in such programs.
Read more about the program in the Boston Globe and sciencedaily.com
