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Medicare is going broke. There are people in this country with serious illnesses who cannot afford health insurance. Our health care system has some serious flaws. Headlines and political rhetoric lead you to believe that the outcome of health care reform will be a victory or a loss for the President or for a particular political party.
In reality, health care reform will be a victory or failure for the American people. Passing a flawed bill is not a victory. Nor is it victory to stubbornly oppose any form of reform to a system that needs improvement. We deserve better from those we have elected to represent us.
Any “solution” to the health care challenge must be realistic in terms of cost. We cannot create another government program that will ultimately be in the same financial crisis that Social Security and Medicare currently face. If government does not start to exercise fiscal prudency, this country will face a financial crisis that no bail-out can save.
The house health care reform bill will require insurance companies to accept all patients regardless of preexisting conditions and will prohibit them from placing caps on benefits. The insurance companies cannot charge higher premiums for these individuals than they do for others in the plan. Emotionally, this sounds like a fair and compassionate requirement. However, compassion comes at a cost. If you add people to the risk pool who are likely to have higher than average medical costs (those with pre-existing conditions) and you cannot charge them higher premiums than you do for everyone else, the only way to cover the risk is to raise premiums for all. Or you can reduce benefits for all. No one is clamoring for either of those options.
True health care reform must address health and the issues that impact health. Poor diet, smoking, obesity, drug use, lack of exercise, and poor prenatal care are big components of the cost of health care in the U.S. Improving quality and reducing cost are not done by making sure everyone has health insurance. They are accomplished by improving the overall health of our population. This issue is not being addressed. Why not? Is it too sensitive politically? Is it politically incorrect to expect most individuals to be self reliant? Has personal excess replaced hard work as the overriding virtue in this country?
Many Medicare and Medicaid patients are finding it difficult to get a primary care doctor or get an appointment with a specialist. This is because physicians cannot afford to treat too many of these patients without risking financial ruin. Some physicians have stopped seeing Medicare and Medicaid patients completely for this reason. Medicare, Medicaid, and other government-funded programs do not pay their fair share of the costs to provide medical services. Patients who are insured through a commercial health insurance subsidize the federal programs by paying more than their fair share. Physicians therefore give priority to insured patients, and commercial insurance is condemned for having high premiums. The House bill expands the Medicaid program which will only make this problem worse.
Under such circumstances, how many bright young people will opt to make medicine a career? A surgical specialist is in school and training until they are between 32-35 years old. Most will have spent well over $200,000 in tuition and fees. They will have put off establishing a home for themselves and their families. How many high achievers will chose to do this when the outlook is so bleak? Yes, you may get to choose your doctor under the House bill … which C student would you like to see?
The House and Senate bills are both bad bills. They do not go far enough in some areas and go too far in others. They do not address the root causes of our health care challenge nor does it strengthen our health care system. They change our health care system, but there is little hope that it is the change we need. What they do is create new subsidies for programs that have not been proven to improve health care that will be funded by new taxes.
The other side of the aisle has not offered viable alternatives and is equally remiss in the exercise of their duties. There are those whose medical problems and circumstances leave them in dire need. As a compassionate country we cannot ignore these people. There should be a system in place to care for these individuals in an efficient and cost-effective manner. At the same time, for most of the population, personal health should be a personal responsibility. Neglect of that responsibility should not create an obligation on others who do act responsibly.
Call our representatives and tell them we deserve true and realistic health care reform without special interest giveaways.
Reigle is CEO of Rocky Mountain Orthopaedic Associates in Grand Junction. He is a past president and former board member of the American Association of Orthopaedic Executives, the national professional society for orthopaedic administrators. He has worked in the health care industry for more than 30 years.
In reality, health care reform will be a victory or failure for the American people. Passing a flawed bill is not a victory. Nor is it victory to stubbornly oppose any form of reform to a system that needs improvement. We deserve better from those we have elected to represent us.
Any “solution” to the health care challenge must be realistic in terms of cost. We cannot create another government program that will ultimately be in the same financial crisis that Social Security and Medicare currently face. If government does not start to exercise fiscal prudency, this country will face a financial crisis that no bail-out can save.
The house health care reform bill will require insurance companies to accept all patients regardless of preexisting conditions and will prohibit them from placing caps on benefits. The insurance companies cannot charge higher premiums for these individuals than they do for others in the plan. Emotionally, this sounds like a fair and compassionate requirement. However, compassion comes at a cost. If you add people to the risk pool who are likely to have higher than average medical costs (those with pre-existing conditions) and you cannot charge them higher premiums than you do for everyone else, the only way to cover the risk is to raise premiums for all. Or you can reduce benefits for all. No one is clamoring for either of those options.
True health care reform must address health and the issues that impact health. Poor diet, smoking, obesity, drug use, lack of exercise, and poor prenatal care are big components of the cost of health care in the U.S. Improving quality and reducing cost are not done by making sure everyone has health insurance. They are accomplished by improving the overall health of our population. This issue is not being addressed. Why not? Is it too sensitive politically? Is it politically incorrect to expect most individuals to be self reliant? Has personal excess replaced hard work as the overriding virtue in this country?
Many Medicare and Medicaid patients are finding it difficult to get a primary care doctor or get an appointment with a specialist. This is because physicians cannot afford to treat too many of these patients without risking financial ruin. Some physicians have stopped seeing Medicare and Medicaid patients completely for this reason. Medicare, Medicaid, and other government-funded programs do not pay their fair share of the costs to provide medical services. Patients who are insured through a commercial health insurance subsidize the federal programs by paying more than their fair share. Physicians therefore give priority to insured patients, and commercial insurance is condemned for having high premiums. The House bill expands the Medicaid program which will only make this problem worse.
Under such circumstances, how many bright young people will opt to make medicine a career? A surgical specialist is in school and training until they are between 32-35 years old. Most will have spent well over $200,000 in tuition and fees. They will have put off establishing a home for themselves and their families. How many high achievers will chose to do this when the outlook is so bleak? Yes, you may get to choose your doctor under the House bill … which C student would you like to see?
The House and Senate bills are both bad bills. They do not go far enough in some areas and go too far in others. They do not address the root causes of our health care challenge nor does it strengthen our health care system. They change our health care system, but there is little hope that it is the change we need. What they do is create new subsidies for programs that have not been proven to improve health care that will be funded by new taxes.
The other side of the aisle has not offered viable alternatives and is equally remiss in the exercise of their duties. There are those whose medical problems and circumstances leave them in dire need. As a compassionate country we cannot ignore these people. There should be a system in place to care for these individuals in an efficient and cost-effective manner. At the same time, for most of the population, personal health should be a personal responsibility. Neglect of that responsibility should not create an obligation on others who do act responsibly.
Call our representatives and tell them we deserve true and realistic health care reform without special interest giveaways.
Reigle is CEO of Rocky Mountain Orthopaedic Associates in Grand Junction. He is a past president and former board member of the American Association of Orthopaedic Executives, the national professional society for orthopaedic administrators. He has worked in the health care industry for more than 30 years.
