Comments on: It’s Not a Question of How, But of Political Will http://blogs.kqed.org/healthyideas/2009/04/29/its-not-a-question-of-how-but-of-political-will/ Californians Weigh In on Health Care Reform Tue, 30 Aug 2011 02:57:31 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 By: Bart Woolery http://blogs.kqed.org/healthyideas/2009/04/29/its-not-a-question-of-how-but-of-political-will/comment-page-1/#comment-12 Bart Woolery Mon, 04 May 2009 04:24:46 +0000 http://blogs.kqed.org/healthyideas/?p=126#comment-12 Although pay for performance, electronic record keeping, and consolidation of the fragmented system are in general worthy goals that will most likely improve the quality of healthcare, they do not reduce the costs of healthcare. If you want to look at a great example of how mandates fail, just look at Massachusetts, with a burgeoning healthcare budget now twice it's original estimate and still no universal coverage, and a bureaucracy on top ot the system (the Connector) that adds an additional 4-5% in overall costs. The only way to really reduce and control costs is with some variation of a true single-payer, an improved and de-privatized Medicare for All perhaps being a decent model to strive for. You are right, all is missing is the political will, and I believe this will does reside with the people. We need to lead our leaders in the proper direction. The stakeholders are unlikely to go along with anything that reduces their stake, we are unlikely to change them, so we must go around them. Although pay for performance, electronic record keeping, and consolidation of the fragmented system are in general worthy goals that will most likely improve the quality of healthcare, they do not reduce the costs of healthcare. If you want to look at a great example of how mandates fail, just look at Massachusetts, with a burgeoning healthcare budget now twice it’s original estimate and still no universal coverage, and a bureaucracy on top ot the system (the Connector) that adds an additional 4-5% in overall costs.
The only way to really reduce and control costs is with some variation of a true single-payer, an improved and de-privatized Medicare for All perhaps being a decent model to strive for. You are right, all is missing is the political will, and I believe this will does reside with the people. We need to lead our leaders in the proper direction. The stakeholders are unlikely to go along with anything that reduces their stake, we are unlikely to change them, so we must go around them.
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