|
|
|
|
The Business of Health Care Report
On today's program, we'll examine the impact of last year's
Republican mid-term election victories on the state and national health care agenda. Republicans across the country were counting political gains after
the Nov. 5 elections. The party took over both houses of Congress and gained ground in several state legislatures. Buoyed by President Bush's popularity and his personal campaigning
for candidates from California to Texas to Georgia, the GOP gained political power to advance its health care agenda. Among the White House priorities that are expected to get a boost
are health care initiatives such as the private market-based prescription drug benefit for seniors. The industry,
Democrats and Republicans all support a benefit but differ over how it should be administered. In Texas, Gov. Rick Perry and the Republican-controlled Legislature
are expected to tackle a range of health care issues this year - especially those dealing with the growing number of
uninsured, medical malpractice reform and prompt-pay legislation, which requires health plans to pay or deny claims
within set timeframes. Consensus on these and other major health proposals may be possible
if for no other reason than the business community wants action. More than 40 million Americans are uninsured and 25
percent of the Texas population is without health insurance, the highest percentage of any state in the nation. And, those who do have insurance are facing double-digit premium
increases and higher co-payments and deductibles. The challenges facing health care in Texas and America are serious
and complex. Over the next year state and federal lawmakers on both sides of the aisle will struggle to address them,
trying to balance the interests of all stakeholders - patients, health care providers and insurance companies. 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.
©
2003 Texas Health Resources |
I'm Doug Hawthorne, President and CEO of Texas Health Resources, with
"The Business of Health Care Report" on 