Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Massachusetts…
On January 22 in the Boston Globe, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Massachusetts, the most dominant carrier in this progressive health insurance state, is trying to slow runaway health care costs and improve the quality of care by changing the reimbursement methodology it uses for paying physicians and other providers. I applaud them for attempting to make useful changes that address the Achilles heal of the U.S. health care system by addressing cost head on.
The acknowledgement that medical costs are the most significant problem facing the U.S. health care system and that reimbursement incentives to providers have to be changed, is a major step forward, especially for an insurance company. In light of that, empowering the medical system to work together to provide the right care sounds great in theory. Performance measures carry the message of accountability. That is a good start. There is so much work for America to do and, as a country, we are running out of time. The facts are Americans are letting insurance companies once again determine what they think is right. Americans need to wake up and face the music. Americans need to elect politicians who have a vision of what the future will bring. We are in the midst of a serious provider shortage. Many doctors are leaving the field especially at teaching hospitals where we develop the most competent doctors. Nurses are extremely hard to come by. That is a recipe for disaster and increased medical error rates. At the same time, we are talking about overhauling the U.S. health care system. What a tremendous challenge.
There are numerous tax laws and other disincentives…
There are numerous tax laws and other disincentives through out the system that have to be changed. Americans and providers are obviously concerned but understand that the US Health Care System has to change. Massachusetts’s Health Care System has been an excellent model for other states to attempt to duplicate. The problem is that very few states actually are like Massachusetts. Sophistication, population, access and other issues affect the potential for standardized change. However, all States must do something to resurrect the entire U.S. medical system.
Health insurance companies are trying to make a difference…too little and too late. The problem is no one trusts that their heart is in the right place. We already know that CMS operates at 3% and insurance companies operate at 12% to 24 %. That means a single payer system would save money or leave more money on the table for necessary care instead of top level executives getting rich at the expense of the American people’s health. Keep that in mind when you elect the next President.
Can any of the candidates get the U.S. health care system back on track?
On January 22 in the Boston Globe, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Massachusetts, the most dominant carrier in this progressive health insurance state, is trying to slow runaway health care costs and improve the quality of care by changing the reimbursement methodology it uses for paying physicians and other providers. I applaud them for attempting to make useful changes that address the Achilles heal of the U.S. health care system by addressing cost head on.
The acknowledgement that medical costs are the most significant problem facing the U.S. health care system and that reimbursement incentives to providers have to be changed, is a major step forward, especially for an insurance company. In light of that, empowering the medical system to work together to provide the right care sounds great in theory. Performance measures carry the message of accountability. That is a good start. There is so much work for America to do and, as a country, we are running out of time. The facts are Americans are letting insurance companies once again determine what they think is right. Americans need to wake up and face the music. Americans need to elect politicians who have a vision of what the future will bring. We are in the midst of a serious provider shortage. Many doctors are leaving the field especially at teaching hospitals where we develop the most competent doctors. Nurses are extremely hard to come by. That is a recipe for disaster and increased medical error rates. At the same time, we are talking about overhauling the U.S. health care system. What a tremendous challenge.
There are numerous tax laws and other disincentives…
There are numerous tax laws and other disincentives through out the system that have to be changed. Americans and providers are obviously concerned but understand that the US Health Care System has to change. Massachusetts’s Health Care System has been an excellent model for other states to attempt to duplicate. The problem is that very few states actually are like Massachusetts. Sophistication, population, access and other issues affect the potential for standardized change. However, all States must do something to resurrect the entire U.S. medical system.
Health insurance companies are trying to make a difference…too little and too late. The problem is no one trusts that their heart is in the right place. We already know that CMS operates at 3% and insurance companies operate at 12% to 24 %. That means a single payer system would save money or leave more money on the table for necessary care instead of top level executives getting rich at the expense of the American people’s health. Keep that in mind when you elect the next President.
Can any of the candidates get the U.S. health care system back on track?
No comments:
Post a Comment