November 1, 2007

I’m taking a moment away from the lightheartedness and addressing a serious issue, which seems to be a hotbed these days - our severely deficient healthcare system. Over the years, the problem has worsened instead of improved. So what is the problem and how do we solve it? I don’t have the answers, but I offer up some thoughts.

Everyone’s looking for a patsy to take the fall for the shortcomings of our healthcare system. And since pharmaceuticals appear to generate the big bucks, naturally they fit the bill. However, the problem doesn’t solely rest with the pharma/bio industry, but is much more macro. Go higher up the food chain, and look at these three major contributors to the problem: government, managed care, and lawyers. The trickle-down starts there and spills into the hospitals and physicians’ offices.

Pharma is but one step on the ladder, and to fix the problem, we have to start at the top.

The ladder is comprised of a series of disjointed networks who cannot communicate amongst each other which results in wasted monies, wasted time and energies and, oftentimes, compromised patient care.

Government / Managed Care

John works with Bill who works with Jim who works with Dave who works with Mike who works with Bob. And, although they all work together, not one of them knows what the other is doing. That analogy can be applied to Medicare, Medicaid, Managed care, insurance companies, pharmacies, hospitals, and physicians/specialists.

There is a lack of centralized communication between the groups. But why? I don’t know.

Already on the table is a proposal to develop and implement a centralized electronic medical records system.

“The fact is our health care system is fantastically inefficient. Just think about it for a minute. We can access our bank accounts from nearly anywhere in the world with our ATM cards. But we can’t transfer CAT scan results digitally from one hospital to the hospital across the street for a second opinion. We can pay bills online, order groceries online, even apply for a mortgage online, all in a matter of minutes. But, if we’re in a car accident, knocked unconscious, with our lives at stake, paramedics and emergency room doctors cannot quickly check for blood type or allergies to medicines.”

-Majority Leader Bill Frist, M.D., Remarks Prepared for Opening of the 109th Congress, January 4, 2004

I offer that they take this proposed model and broaden it out to link all networks together. In this day of technology overload, certainly that is feasible. It seems everyone except major healthcare has adopted electronic capabilities. I don’t understand what the hold-up is. Adopting such a system would save billions of dollars of an already over-budgeted and under-allocated system.

If you want a patsy - the sector to target is Managed Care and insurance carriers. Check the annual earnings of this class. It contains the biggest group of liars, crooks, and thieves. Billions could be saved if the lobbyists - representing the consumer - went after these guys. I’m sure the resounding choruses would preach to us that the exorbitant expense is due to having to pay for the non-insured and indigents.

Hold up there a moment. The non-insured/indigent population seem to eat up enormous buckets of monies that could otherwise be used in reducing healthcare costs. Why? Because they can’t afford to pay for it, which then ultimately spills over to the taxpayers - in mass - who are footing the bill. Don’t be fooled - it’s not government. Remember, we - the consumers - are the ones whose pockets are being hit, for it’s our dollars that are supporting government.

Government / Managed Care systems work in other countries. What aspects of those models can be adopted for such a system here in the US? Again, I don’t have an answer, but feel somebody is or should be evaluating similar models for modification and/or inclusion in the states.

Lawyers

Oh, lord! These are the bane of our existence. If it weren’t for the lawyers, physicians wouldn’t be afraid to actually treat their patients. Malpractice suits have rendered our physicians and specialists fearful of thinking outside the box and providing the type of medical advice/treatment that is actually helpful.

This evolution occurred through probable cause - there are bad and/or corrupt professionals who deserve to be slammed with suits. However, it’s spilled over into the legitimate playing field where highly qualified and skilled professionals are squirmish to serve in their chosen and/or appointed medical capacity.

My proposed solution? We’re a suing-happy society - start suing the attorneys. Or, put all the lawyers on a bus and drive them off a cliff. I’ll even drive.

Seriously though, prohibit the attorneys from advertising in mass media formats. Regulators prohibited the alcohol and tobacco industry, they can prohibit the attorneys, too. If you don’t put the notion in some average Joe’s head, the potential for erroneous and ridiculous suits are diminished. I don’t have figures to cite, but I’m willing to bet a significant chunk of healthcare dollars are resultant of malpractice lawsuits.

Patient/consumer education is the answer. An educated consumer is a valuable commodity. But the education should not be derived from an attorney’s office; instead, it should based on the wealth of knowledge available at their fingertips. And, it should come from a “communication trust” established between the caregiver and the patient. Doctors need to start doctoring again.

The Last Word

The US is frivolous, greedy, materialistic, and arrogant. It is because of these characteristics that we are in this situation today, and the crises we face are self-induced. Since there doesn’t seem to be a solution, it keeps getting passed from one hand to another to another and, with each pass, grows bigger and bigger.

Bipartisan collaborations could result in noticeable advancements to finding a solution, and should be rigorously supported. There is a light at the end of the tunnel. Let’s push to find it.

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