In our previous blog, I discussed the concept of Health Care Park and Tectonic Plates. COST being a major one of those results of an angry lithosphere. I left you with a question. IS COST A VIABLE CONCEPT FOR THE INFORMED CONSUMER OF HEALTHCARE? I believe it is. But, don’t just take my word for it. Here is a discussion which will I believe will prove my point. COST [...]
Last week we talked about variability. And even that variability is variable. Say what???? At the end of the day the final variable is location. Where you live determines cost -- not how sick you are. Whatever the market can bear in our FOR-PROFIT HEALTHCARE INSURANCE MODEL. And that variable variability is augmented, aided and abetted by our old friend THE THIRD PARTY. And there's a third party —the [...]
In last week's blog I talked about ROI (Return on Investment). Health outcomes (mortality, morbidity-how sick you are, life expectancy, healthcare status, functional limitations, etc.) are strongly impacted by your access to healthcare. And what influences ACCESS TO HEALTHCARE? Healthcare expenditures. COST! And WOMEN HEALTHCARE CONSUMERS are impacted more often by cost than their MALE counterparts. The primary driver of COST [...]
In my previous blog I talked about the three obvious and prominent components of our FOR-PROFIT HEALTHCARE INSURANCE MODEL. And no, it is not a free ride for the healthcare consumer. We have OUT-OF-POCKET COST. We have the privileged of paying premiums, deductibles, co-pays, coinsurance or other fees out of pocket in order to play on one of the six teams. That process, in reality, looks something like this. [...]
Today, I would like to introduce the current model of healthcare. It is the FOR-PROFIT HEALTHCARE INSURANCE MODEL. That model has three prominent components and one behind the scenes. Let me introduce those players under a little different name. THE FIRST PARTY The FIRST PARTY is the PROVIDER OF HEALTHCARE. Under federal regulations, a "health care provider" is defined as: a doctor of medicine or osteopathy, podiatrist, dentist, chiropractor, [...]
Poppy tweets about healthcare 2020 ... where are we headed? The results of the 2018 mid-term elections solidified Health Care as an important topic. The recent federal judge ruling that the ACA is unconstitutional set the stage for its continued importance. The ACA is still in place until 2019 when the mandate to have insurance goes away thanks to the 2017 Tax Bill. Appeals have begun. The Supreme Court [...]
The DECISION MAKERS ... Are you listening? Previously in my POSTSCRIPTS for the Consumers and Providers, I mentioned that we have come full cycle to the place where I as a Physician Executive will ask some questions. But this time my comments will be directed to the DECISION MAKERS of our FOR-PROFIT HEALTH CARE INSURANCE MODEL. Do not consider American health care in transition in the current vacuum in which [...]
There's the ‘first’ party — the PROVIDER who provides the service. Are You Listening? As I said in the first POSTSCRIPT for the Consumer of Healthcare, now we have come full cycle to the place where I as a Physician Executive will ask some questions. This set of information is only for you the “first party” of our FOR-PROFIT HEALTH CARE INSURANCE MODEL. THE PROVIDERS OF HEALTHCARE. Physicians could [...]
There's a second party, the CONSUMER OF HEATHCARE, who receives the service. Are You Listening? Now we have come full cycle to the place where I as a Physician Executive will ask some questions. This set of questions is only for you the “second party” of our FOR-PROFIT HEALTH CARE INSURANCE MODEL. The generally disenfranchised participant of our Healthcare Insurance Model. Do you know where you sit in [...]
This week Poppy Tweets: “At the end of the day, think out of the box!”In last week’s blog, I reviewed the Healthcare issues you may not be aware of. This week I offer my suggested resolutions.First of all, no decision maker in the room should knowingly interfere with the natural progression of American Healthcare in Transition:Don’t be the victim of hear-say and evidence of that ilk.It is like the placebo [...]