By using this site, you agree to the Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.
Accept
Health Works CollectiveHealth Works CollectiveHealth Works Collective
  • Health
    • Mental Health
    Health
    Healthcare organizations are operating on slimmer profit margins than ever. One report in August showed that they are even lower than the beginning of the…
    Show More
    Top News
    What Are the Benefits of CBD?
    November 27, 2021
    How to Measure Adult Diapers- The Ultimate Guide to Picking the Right Size
    March 8, 2022
    medicine cabinet
    The Effect Of Finished Dosage Form Manufacturing In New Drugs
    July 5, 2022
    Latest News
    7 Most Common Healthcare Accreditation Programs: Which Should You Use?
    August 20, 2025
    Hospital Pest Control and the Fight Against Superbugs
    August 20, 2025
    Hygiene Beyond The Clinic: Attention To Overlooked Non-Clinical Spaces
    August 13, 2025
    5 Steps to a Promising Career as a Healthcare Administrator
    August 3, 2025
  • Policy and Law
    • Global Healthcare
    • Medical Ethics
    Policy and Law
    Get the latest updates about Insurance policies and Laws in the Healthcare industry for different geographical locations.
    Show More
    Top News
    Ebola Education, Hospital Marketing, Healthcare Marketing, Healthcare Communication
    Hospital Marketing and Ebola: Communication and Education Needed
    October 30, 2014
    healthcare IT
    The Billion Dollar Healthcare IT Opportunity That the US Government Wasted
    January 27, 2013
    red bull
    Downing Energy Drinks: A Real Buzz Kill
    March 17, 2015
    Latest News
    How Social Security Disability Shapes Access to Care and Everyday Health
    August 22, 2025
    How a DUI Lawyer Can Help When Your Future Health Feels Uncertain
    August 22, 2025
    How One Fall Can Lead to a Long Road of Medical Complications
    August 22, 2025
    How IT and Marketing Teams Can Collaborate to Protect Patient Trust
    July 17, 2025
  • Medical Innovations
  • News
  • Wellness
  • Tech
Search
© 2023 HealthWorks Collective. All Rights Reserved.
Reading: Health Reform Beyond the ACA: Are We Inching Towards Consensus?
Share
Notification Show More
Font ResizerAa
Health Works CollectiveHealth Works Collective
Font ResizerAa
Search
Follow US
  • About
  • Contact
  • Privacy
© 2023 HealthWorks Collective. All Rights Reserved.
Health Works Collective > Policy & Law > Health Reform > Health Reform Beyond the ACA: Are We Inching Towards Consensus?
BusinessHealth ReformHospital AdministrationPolicy & LawPublic Health

Health Reform Beyond the ACA: Are We Inching Towards Consensus?

psalber
psalber
Share
4 Min Read
ACA health reform
SHARE

Most policy people will acknowledge that the Affordable Care Act is only the first step toward reforming our bloated, expensive, inefficient and often unfriendly health care system.  Much more will need to be done to ensure health care sustainability.

Most policy people will acknowledge that the Affordable Care Act is only the first step toward reforming our bloated, expensive, inefficient and often unfriendly health care system.  Much more will need to be done to ensure health care sustainability.

ACA health reformJohn (Jack) Lewin MD from the National Coalition on Health Care (NCHC) in Washington DC and former CEO of the California Medical Association and of the American College of Cardiology) and colleagues, Lawrence Atkins PhD of the National Academy of Social Insurance and Larry McNeally, also of the NCHC) have published an interesting “Viewpoint” in the October 23 issue of JAMA.  In this article they summarize key elements of plans to reform the US health care system from seven prestigious policy organizations:

  • Bipartisan Policy Center
  • Brookings Institution
  • The Commonwealth Fund
  • Kaiser Family Foundation
  • National Coalition of Health Care
  • Partnership for Sustainable Health Care
  • Urban Institute

The authors point out that many of these elements are common to the all of proposals of these organizations.  Two of the features that everyone agrees on are that we need value-based payment reform (out with fee-for-service and in with payment for better care, more satisfied patients, and measured outcomes) and value-based insurance design (lower cost share for services that really help patients, such as drug treatments for diabetics and incentives for healthier behaviors, including treatment adherence).

Features related to efficiency of administration and markets include HIT, antitrust, medical malpractice, evidence-based benefits, and work force issues.  Missing from the list are efforts to weed out fraud and abuse, including overbilling.  Recently, a friend of mine was charged $8000 by a Northern California community hospital for a head and neck CT.  A quick check with an Idaho-based radiologist’s billing department showed that this is more than triple what they charge for their most expensive CT of that body region:

More Read

Healthcare and Technology : Garnering Interest in Your Product
4 Things That Could Happen in Health Reform
Take These 4 Important Steps For Healthy And Happy Aging
Your Ultimate Guide to Choosing the Perfect Medicare Plan
Five Reasons to Replace Legacy Healthcare Systems
  • MR Imaging orbit, face and/or neck; w/o contrast                                                  $1314.20
  • MR Imaging orbit, face and/or neck w/contrast                                                      $1377.70
  • Non-contrast followed by contrast material(s) and further sequences                     $2196.40

Overbilling by providers whether to make up for losses due to declining volume or other factors, places a significant financial burden on patients and whoever else is paying the bill.  It must be addressed.

Other policy elements had less consensus with only 4 of the seven proposals favoring Medicare Structural reforms, taxes or caps.  The Urban institute was an outlier in this analysis basing its hope for reform only on value based payment reform and insurance design as well as Medicare structural reforms and Taxes.

Image

Achieving even a fraction of these proposed reform elements likely will be even more painful than getting the ACA passed and not repealed.  If you think the anti-Obamacare-ites hate national insurance reform, wait until they start chewing on caps, taxes, and payment reform.

TAGGED:ACA
Share This Article
Facebook Copy Link Print
Share

Stay Connected

1.5kFollowersLike
4.5kFollowersFollow
2.8kFollowersPin
136kSubscribersSubscribe

Latest News

engineer fitting prosthetic arm
How Social Security Disability Shapes Access to Care and Everyday Health
Health care
August 20, 2025
a woman explaining the document
How a DUI Lawyer Can Help When Your Future Health Feels Uncertain
Public Health
August 20, 2025
physiotherapist at work
How One Fall Can Lead to a Long Road of Medical Complications
Health care
August 20, 2025
Common Healthcare Accreditation Programs
7 Most Common Healthcare Accreditation Programs: Which Should You Use?
Health News
August 20, 2025

You Might also Like

FitnessGlobal HealthcareHealth care

5 Tips On How to Take Care of an Ill Person

March 27, 2020
family and patient advisory council
BusinessHospital Administration

Patient and Family Advisory Council: Lessons Learned

October 18, 2014

Pin Your Fans to Your Brand: Join Pinterest!

October 3, 2014

Determining Paths of Research

October 26, 2012
Subscribe
Subscribe to our newsletter to get our newest articles instantly!
Follow US
© 2008-2025 HealthWorks Collective. All Rights Reserved.
  • About
  • Contact
  • Privacy
Welcome Back!

Sign in to your account

Username or Email Address
Password

Lost your password?