The shouting is over, now comes the hard work. That was the message delivered by a panel of experts at the Providence Business News Health Care Summit, held April 28.
In sharing details with an audience hungry for facts, the experts discussed mandates, costs, tax credits, innovation and insurance exchanges. But they emphasized that the final chapter had not yet been written, and the specifics will vary from state to state. The Rhode Island business community should use this time to become involved with the process and help shape that outcome for the good of the citizens and the economy of the state.
Both Health Insurance Commissioner Christopher F. Koller and Lt. Gov. Elizabeth H. Roberts encouraged business leaders to join their efforts to create the insurance exchange.
Koller, Roberts and Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Rhode Island President and CEO James E. Purcell talked about the value of electronic health records, an area in which Rhode Island has been leading the way, and they also advocated reorganizing medical practices to promote a more managed, full-picture approach. Both initiatives would cut costs while improving care.
Dr. Troyen Brennan, chief medical officer for CVS Caremark Corp., was among a number of panelists who discussed moving away from the fee-for-service model, which many believe encourages excess use of health care resources and unnecessary testing, to a system that sets fees based, in part, on medical outcomes.
The summit made clear that the health care reform law is only the beginning in the campaign to restructure the health care delivery system in the United States to rein in runaway costs and improve the well-being of the citizenry – and the health of the economy. •
