The Post and Courier 12/14/2020- US health care costs are trending down in 2020, but that’s not necessarily a good thing

Robert P. Hartwig, PhD, CPCU · December 14, 2020 ·

Health care spending appears to be about 2 percent lower this year than last, which is the first decrease in health care spending since data first became available in the 1960s. While this may seem positive because health care costs in the U.S. are extremely high, the reasons behind this drop aren’t encouraging, as it’s directly tied to the pandemic and indicative of Americans forgoing care that they need. Dr. Robert Hartwig says the 2 percent drop is only a momentary blip in time, and there is every reason to believe that the system will make up most of its losses in 2021. Read the entire article here.

About Robert P. Hartwig, PhD, CPCU

Director, Risk and Uncertainty Management Center
Clinical Associate Professor
Robert Hartwig (Ph.D., University of Illinois, 1993) is clinical associate professor of finance and director of the Risk and Uncertainty Management Center. His research focuses on insurance markets and structures, risk management, pandemic risk, risk-bearing capital market instruments, the financing of technology risks and venture capital in insurance markets. He makes frequent presentations to insurance industry management, boards of directors, regulators and legislators. Prior to joining the Darla Moore School of Business, he was president and economist for the Insurance Information Institute in New York and in prior positions worked for Swiss Re, the National Council on Compensation Insurance and the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission. He has also served as an adjunct professor at Florida Atlantic University. His professional experience includes expert witness testimony and testimony before numerous congressional and state legislative committees. He holds the Chartered Property Casualty Underwriter (CPCU) credential and speaks frequently in the media on all issues related to insurance markets.