What’s Your Position on Healthcare Reform?

When asked,” What is your position on healthcare reform?”  I routinely answer, let the free market system work it’s magic through just a few incentives. I beleive that competition is the answer to the healthcare crisis. If we allow insurance to be sold across state lines and groups and associations band together to purchase healthcare, the cost will come down and providers will have to compete on quality not just price.

Second I believe that some tort reform is needed to reduce the frivolous lawsuits, thereby reducing the cost of defensive medicine.

Lastly, we need to mandate that the healthcare industry (providers and insurance companies) adopt health information technology. Card swipe technology has been used successfully in the banking industry for years, yet insurance companies are not yet required to issue card readable membership cards to their subscribers.

There is no magic bullet for healthcare, but a major overhaul is not called for. We have the best healthcare system in the world and we need to protect it from politicians who are eager to implement a single payer system and have the government run healthcare like the IRS.

Enjoy!

Medical Group Management Association (MGMA)  Position on Healthcare Reform