In an effort to keep their businesses viable and provide better quality coverage than a single payer system would have, health insurance companies have started grass roots educational campaigns.
Health Insurance Companies Going Grass Roots
You will see more and more press releases and testimony by large health insurance carriers as decision time approaches w/in Congress. They are reaching out to their agents and members to give them their version of what will work for sustainable reform of the health insurance industry.
UniCare (a division of Wellpoint, one of the largest health insurance companies in the United States who also owns Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield), just released their “Building a Sustainable Health Care System” brochure to share with agents and the public: http://tr.im/unicareco. This is just one insurance company’s viewpoint.
United Healthcare (the other largest health insurance company in the United States) has their own version: http://tr.im/uhchealth.
Everyone Has an Emotional and Financial Tie to the Outcome
The American Nurses Association has been advocating a universal health system for years: http://tr.im/ANurseA. I couldn’t tell whether they had even looked at what the impact of these systems have been in other countries w/regards to rationing of care. Furthermore, if a single payer system (government) exists, all medical personnel will have their salaries regulated and reduced. This reduction (my guess based upon cost of services versus government reimbursements) will be between 10% – 30%. Are we more likely or less likely to sign up new nurses and doctors if we reduce their salaries by this much?
The National Association of Health Underwriters (http://www.NAHU.org) is the one place I’ve found that has been collecting statistics on what has worked/not worked with health care (Note: I am a member of this organization). They have collected information from attempts by multiple states to create universal health coverage and they have also collected information about the single payer systems around the world and what works/doesn’t work. Their CEO has been tireless in advocating intelligent choice based upon facts. They have boiled their view of a sustainable health care system in their Healthy Access Plan: http://tr.im/nahuleg.
The American Medical Association has been advocating a middle of the road approach, keeping private insurance while using public programs for vulnerable populations: http://tr.im/AMAreform. Using electronic records (real time data), improving quality, promoting wellness, and reigning in costs are all part of their view.
Common Threads of Each Plan
If you look at most of the recommendations, there are some commonalities. First, everyone believes in coverage for all. Second, wellness needs to be promoted as up to 50% of medical costs are due to lifestyle choices. Third, free flow of information so that duplication can be taken out of the system and all medical personnel can work together more closely (and not have conflicting medications/treatments). Fourth, better disease management of chronic conditions. Fifth, continually reducing waste within the system.
There’s an Elephant in the room
There is an elephant standing in the room that no one is willing to recognize. End of Life Care will become a major issue as the United States tries to reign in health care costs. According to the Post Chronicle (March 9, 2009), 5% of individuals on Medicare who die each year use approximately 33% of Medicare expenditures. These expenditures are typically on aggressive treatments that have not been proven to extend life. As the population ages, the costs will continue to escalate. My best guess is that this issue will not be one that legislators will be willing to address due to its nature (legislators will most likely loose votes if they take a stand on this issue). Think about it, how do you tell a person that you won’t provide a treatment to their loved one because it has less than a 50/50 chance of succeeding?
No Easy Answers
In summary, there are no easy answers. Whatever the United States chooses to do to reform health insurance and health care will be flawed, but hopefully it will be less flawed than our current system. Everyone needs to take an active part in the discussion.
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