By Ed Howe
Retired president and CEO, Aurora Health Care
President Obama is in Massachusetts today, but he is not talking about what the state has done in terms of healthcare reform. Wonder why?
Massachusetts is one of only two states in the U.S. that has implemented its own universal healthcare program similar to what lawmakers are trying to do in Washington. So it would make sense that you might think the president would talk about the state’s reform efforts during his visit today.
He will not.
Why? Because while 96 percent of residents in the state are now covered by insurance, premiums for some are still going up and people are seeing little or no difference in the quality of care.
State lawmakers failed to tackle the tough issues of cost control, including how private and public insurers would pay hospitals and doctors. That, my friends, is part of the problem.
Massachusetts is a prime example of why we should try to anticipate the consequences that always come with big government programs. People like what seems free. They will use more than the budget guesstimate. A plan that does not reform how care is delivered, but only stimulates demand while the status quo is maintained, will bust the budget.
Massachusetts should be viewed as a pilot that we could learn from. Too bad nobody seems to “get it” yet.
Here’s what we need:
- Accountable healthcare organizations based on an integrated delivery system model
- Bundled rather than a la carte pricing from healthcare providers
- Transparency in cost so patients can make informed choices
We need the users of healthcare (the patients) to have a personal financial stake in where and how care is delivered.
