Texas Health Resources - The Business of Healthcare

The Business of Health Care Report
The Face of Health Care - February 2002

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I’m Doug Hawthorne, President and CEO of Texas Health Resources, with "The Business of Health Care Report" on News Radio 1080 KRLD. On today’s program, we’ll examine the important health care issues facing Congress and the White House in 2002.

There's no question that the going will be tough on domestic issues. The tragic events of September 11, the war on terrorism, an optimistic but uncertain economic outlook, and the resulting competition for rapidly dwindling federal resources -- all will pose unique challenges for the Bush Administration and Congress as they craft health care policy.

Overlay this environment with election strategies and political maneuvering already underway, and you have the makings of a dog fight. Democrats already are messaging and testing ads that may make health care the volleyball in their efforts to gain control of the Senate and retake control of the House.

In the crystal ball, however, are several issues that are sure to be on the horizon:
- Information privacy, prompting new laws and regulations governing the protection of individual medical data.
- Soaring premiums for malpractice insurance, leaving physicians and hospitals in a pinch, while rising claims costs threaten the financial stability of some insurers.
- Control over medical management, resulting from how HMOs implement managed care decisions. Are there changes ahead in the Patients’ Bill of Rights?
- Prescription drug coverage for seniors. Can we or can’t we afford it? Who gets the coverage and who doesn’t?
- And an array of overlapping health and national security issues related to bio-terrorism.

The challenges facing health care in America are serious and complex, making observation an interesting pastime as Congress and regulatory agencies struggle to address them.

For Texas Health Resources and its family of hospitals - Harris Methodist Hospitals, Presbyterian Healthcare System and Arlington Memorial Hospital - I'm CEO Doug Hawthorne with "The Business of Health Care Report" on NewsRadio 1080 KRLD.

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