Question

According to the statement, why is cost positioned at the top of the Cost/Quality/Access triangle?

A) Because it is the least important aspect.
B) Because it is the most important aspect.
C) Because it represents the government's role.
D) Because it directly relates to healthcare quality.

Answer 1

Cost is positioned at the top of the Cost/Quality/Access triangle because it is the most important aspect in healthcare. High costs can limit access to care and hinder healthcare quality. Systems should strive to achieve a balance between quality, access, and cost.

Step-by-step explanation:

In the Cost/Quality/Access triangle for healthcare, cost is positioned at the top because it is the most important aspect. The U.S. healthcare system, while offering high quality care and innovations, struggles with high costs and providing basic care to all. Other countries may have lower costs and equal access, but they often face challenges in providing rapid access to the most up-to-date medical care.

Cost directly relates to healthcare quality because high costs can limit access to care and prevent individuals from receiving the best possible treatment. By addressing cost, healthcare systems can strive to achieve a balance between quality, access, and cost.

For example, point R is productively inefficient because it is possible at choice C to have more of both goods: education on the horizontal axis is higher at point C than point R, and healthcare on the vertical axis is also higher at point C than point R.