Letter to President on Reform
Most have heard through the media that many health care entities met with Obama and committed to lower health care costs. The following is a part of the letter they sent to the Obama administration. A lot of rhetoric, but no details!
To achieve all of these goals, we have joined together in an unprecedented effort, as private sector stakeholders—physicians, hospitals, other health care workers, payors, suppliers, manufacturers, and organized labor—to offer concrete initiatives that will transform the health care system. As restructuring takes hold and the population's health improves over the coming decade, we will do our part to achieve your Administration’s goal of decreasing by 1.5 percentage points the annual health care spending growth rate—saving $2 trillion or more.
This represents more than a 20% reduction in the projected rate of growth. We believe this approach can be highly successful and can help the nation to achieve the reform goals we all share.
To respond to this challenge, we are developing consensus proposals to reduce the rate of increase in future health and insurance costs through changes made in all sectors of the health care system. We are committed to taking action in public-private partnership to create a more stable and sustainable health care system that will achieve billions in savings through:
· Implementing proposals in all sectors of the health care system, focusing on administrative simplification, standardization, and transparency that supports effective markets;
· Reducing over-use and under-use of health care by aligning quality and efficiency incentives among providers across the continuum of care so that physicians, hospitals, and other health care providers are encouraged and enabled to work together towards the highest standards of quality and efficiency;
· Encouraging coordinated care, both in the public and private sectors, and adherence to evidence-based best practices and therapies that reduce hospitalization, manage chronic disease more efficiently and effectively, and implement proven clinical prevention strategies; and,
· Reducing the cost of doing business by addressing cost drivers in each sector and through common sense improvements in care delivery models, health information technology, workforce deployment and development, and regulatory reforms.
These and other reforms will make our health care system stronger and more sustainable. However, there are many important factors driving health care costs that are beyond the control of the delivery system alone. Billions in savings can be achieved through a large-scale national effort of health promotion and disease prevention to reduce the prevalence of chronic disease and poor health status, which leads to unnecessary sickness and higher health costs. Reform should include a specific focus on obesity prevention commensurate with the scale of the problem. These initiatives are crucial to transform health care in America and to achieve our goal of reducing the rate of growth in health costs.
We, as stakeholder representatives, are committed to doing our part to make reform a reality in order to make the system more affordable and effective for patients and purchasers. We stand ready to work with you to accomplish this goal.
As you can see, even in this letter, there are a lot of ideas but once again very limited details on what the plans and implementation really mean. There is no consensus thus far, and what Obama and his liberal colleagues have proposed is no where close to building consensus.
To achieve all of these goals, we have joined together in an unprecedented effort, as private sector stakeholders—physicians, hospitals, other health care workers, payors, suppliers, manufacturers, and organized labor—to offer concrete initiatives that will transform the health care system. As restructuring takes hold and the population's health improves over the coming decade, we will do our part to achieve your Administration’s goal of decreasing by 1.5 percentage points the annual health care spending growth rate—saving $2 trillion or more.
This represents more than a 20% reduction in the projected rate of growth. We believe this approach can be highly successful and can help the nation to achieve the reform goals we all share.
To respond to this challenge, we are developing consensus proposals to reduce the rate of increase in future health and insurance costs through changes made in all sectors of the health care system. We are committed to taking action in public-private partnership to create a more stable and sustainable health care system that will achieve billions in savings through:
· Implementing proposals in all sectors of the health care system, focusing on administrative simplification, standardization, and transparency that supports effective markets;
· Reducing over-use and under-use of health care by aligning quality and efficiency incentives among providers across the continuum of care so that physicians, hospitals, and other health care providers are encouraged and enabled to work together towards the highest standards of quality and efficiency;
· Encouraging coordinated care, both in the public and private sectors, and adherence to evidence-based best practices and therapies that reduce hospitalization, manage chronic disease more efficiently and effectively, and implement proven clinical prevention strategies; and,
· Reducing the cost of doing business by addressing cost drivers in each sector and through common sense improvements in care delivery models, health information technology, workforce deployment and development, and regulatory reforms.
These and other reforms will make our health care system stronger and more sustainable. However, there are many important factors driving health care costs that are beyond the control of the delivery system alone. Billions in savings can be achieved through a large-scale national effort of health promotion and disease prevention to reduce the prevalence of chronic disease and poor health status, which leads to unnecessary sickness and higher health costs. Reform should include a specific focus on obesity prevention commensurate with the scale of the problem. These initiatives are crucial to transform health care in America and to achieve our goal of reducing the rate of growth in health costs.
We, as stakeholder representatives, are committed to doing our part to make reform a reality in order to make the system more affordable and effective for patients and purchasers. We stand ready to work with you to accomplish this goal.
As you can see, even in this letter, there are a lot of ideas but once again very limited details on what the plans and implementation really mean. There is no consensus thus far, and what Obama and his liberal colleagues have proposed is no where close to building consensus.
Labels: healthcare reform, Obama
posted by Anonymous at 5:42 AM
4 Comments:
The few health care entities that signed on early in this campaign were probably "strong-armed" to do so by the South Side Chicago thugs that BHO has surrounded himself with. Their statement of generalities for reducing costs leads one to believe that. Any prudent business would want to do these suggestions as a matter of course in running their business. It appears the early Obamacare (read "Oh Bomb Our Care") tactics were to get a few health care providers on board as references for the sales campaign. Now that the Obamacare sales campaign has played out, I suspect that those entities that originally endorsed Obamacare regret their decisions.
To add to my comment above, look at the headlines on Foxnews.com. See: http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2009/08/12/obama-claim-aarp-endorsement-inaccurate/. Even AARP, that liberal lapdog organization, is running away from BHO's references and sales pitches. AARP is denying that they are endorsing Obamacare (Read: "Oh Bomb Our Care").
I wish the discusion were centered around more usefull terms.
Sickness care is for what you go to the doctor and the hospital. That is their expertise. Yes, some cancer screening needs to be at special providers, like colonoscopy, but most of ones health is your own responsibility. There is plenty of information on the internet. It is not the doctor's job, the hospital's, or the insurance companies.
The savings from "efficiencies" is over sold. Many studies have proven this.
Last, this letter is a response to the rent-seeking and Chicago strong arm tactics and not genuine efforts toward market freedom which will be the only thing that can reduce cost by eliminating inefficiency.
According to yesterday's newspaper, Baron Hill stated that he will not be holding any open town hall meetings. He has held a few meetings with "invited" guests only. He even went on to say that the people speaking out at these town hall meetings are "political terrorists".
I think he has lost perspective of the fact that he is there to represent myself and the rest of the 9th district (even though I didn't vote for him :-) ). If his constituents need/want to talk to him about an issue, then he should be right there to listen whether we agree with his view or not. Don't lump me into a label such as "political terrorist". That is incredibly insulting Mr. Hill.
The bottom line is, it makes him look like he's arrogant and a coward.
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