CHANGE HEALTH TODAY
Footnotes, citations, etc
This will be a running list of websites and articles I run across that help explain my opinions better than I can.
This article discusses how much more expensive emergency care is compared to care in the outpatient setting.
Interesting article about how things might be different if health care providers were in charge.
"Who needs an MBA? Top hospitals are run by doctors, study says" - FierceHealthcare
Doctor-run health care
Americans worry about health care...a lot
Doctors and the adminstrators who have administrators
So there's a corporation of adminstrators that help state administrators manage their Medicaid programs. Really? How does that improve patient outcomes?
"As Medicaid Rolls Swell, Cuts in Payments to Doctors Threaten Access to Care" - The New York Times
Children are not little adults
Every provider that works with kids knows this, but it bears repeating: kids are not like us. And if we concentrate efforts on preventative care and treatment for kids, we'll be setting up for success in the future.
"Health Law Helped Adults. Now, What About Children?" - The New York Times
Fairness is a big deal, for everyone
The idea that we're equal and "in this together" is what will drive a healthy and successful health reform movement forward.
Expanded Medicaid will be good for some, but the middle class is overlooked
Personalized persistent health care pays off
Funny ol' world...so there are social programs that exist that have proven to be effective. I think an incremental approach to implementing a comprehensive healthcare delivery system will bring similar results.
Untreated mental illness drives up costs
Once again, we learn that medical costs are higher when we don't treat mental health concerns. So let's put our money where our mouth is and get this done.
"High Mental Illness Costs Attributed to in Part to Avoidable Hospital Use" - Psychiatric News
Physician Pay Isn't the Most Expensive part of Medicine
In all honesty, physicians just don't make the money that people think they do. And to make matters worse, all the money we pay into the system isn't coming to us anyway.
"Physician Compensation Eight Percent of Healthcare Costs" - Jackson Healthcare
Proactive OB/Prenatal Care Saves Money Overall
Stories like this always make me cringe a bit because we already know, and have known, that preemptively addressing health care concerns saves money and improves outcomes. But sometimes it needs to be said again...and again.
"Nurse Visits Help First-Time Moms, Cut Government Costs in Long Run" - NPR