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The Business of Health Care Report
Last week, we discussed the ways
health care reform failed in the past. Today, I want to discuss why the time for
reform is better now than ever. First, it's clear from a recent
CBS News/New York Times poll that the majority of Americans believe the current
U.S. health care system is like a leaky roof - it's a lot better than no roof at all,
but there are gaps in its coverage. They're increasingly frustrated by the uncoordinated
nature of their care, by rising costs and by inconsistent access. Second, we know that an additional
15 million Americans will become Medicare eligible over the next 15 years and more than
40 million of us currently lack insurance altogether - factors that place an unprecedented
strain on the U.S. budget and health care finances. Third, we have a lack of trained health
care workers in this country. The American Hospital Association estimates that there are
more than 150,000 unfilled nursing positions in hospitals alone. Some estimates say this
number will grow to 600,000 within the next 10 years. Fourth, more of the cost of health care
is being shifted to employees and away from their employers. The days of businesses providing
low-cost health benefits for their employees are numbered. As this dramatic shift occurs,
more people opt to go without insurance, putting even more pressure on health care providers
and the government to plug the gaps. Many of us subscribe to the old notion that
if it's not broken, don't fix it. Well, it's pretty clear that the opposite holds true for health
care. Repairs are needed. Returning to our leaky roof analogy, research
conducted by the American Hospital Association indicates that although Americans view their
individual health care as good, they'd like for the "health care system" to be better. They want it
to have less worrisome "leaks." Debates about "when" to fix the roof evaporate
in a downpour. That's why now is the time to fix health care - while everyone is feeling the rain. 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.
©
2004 Texas Health Resources |
I'm Doug Hawthorne, President and CEO of Texas Health Resources, with
"The Business of Health Care Report" on 