Comments on: American Health Care: The Staggering Costs of the Status Quo http://wonkroom.thinkprogress.org/2008/12/02/staggering-costs/ Thu, 26 Nov 2009 16:42:01 -0500 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.5 hourly 1 By: jps http://wonkroom.thinkprogress.org/2008/12/02/staggering-costs/comment-page-1/#comment-3058 jps Tue, 02 Dec 2008 19:06:32 +0000 http://wonkroom.thinkprogress.org/2008/12/02/staggering-costs/#comment-3058 We can control costs by improving access at the same time. This is because restricting access shifts costs to the emergency room where they are much more expensive. Obama clearly set forth the most efficient way to implement the changes in the debates, which is about the same as page 154 of Tom Daschle's book, "Critical," published this year. We can control costs by improving access at the same time. This is because restricting access shifts costs to the emergency room where they are much more expensive.

Obama clearly set forth the most efficient way to implement the changes in the debates, which is about the same as page 154 of Tom Daschle’s book, “Critical,” published this year.

]]> By: DrMike http://wonkroom.thinkprogress.org/2008/12/02/staggering-costs/comment-page-1/#comment-3056 DrMike Tue, 02 Dec 2008 17:36:50 +0000 http://wonkroom.thinkprogress.org/2008/12/02/staggering-costs/#comment-3056 All too true. The challenges are two-fold. First, should cost control or access expansion be the first priority? Or should they (can they) both be done at the same time? And second, once what should be done is agreed to, then the bigger challenge is how to implement those changes so that they are productive and effective. By this I don't mean what should the legislation say, or how could it get enough votes to become law, but rather, how would initiatives and changes included in new Federal law, (and changes to existing Federal programs), actually be implemented/adopted in both the health care financing and delivery system - with the delivery system being a much harder entity to shift in its operations. (A comparison might be that if changing the direction of the financing system is like changing the course of an aircraft carrier, then changing the direction of the delivery system is like changing the obit of a moon or a comet.) Let's hope that all these steps can be undertaken swiftly to improve both clinical and economic outcomes for patients and our entire society. All too true.

The challenges are two-fold. First, should cost control or access expansion be the first priority? Or should they (can they) both be done at the same time?

And second, once what should be done is agreed to, then the bigger challenge is how to implement those changes so that they are productive and effective. By this I don’t mean what should the legislation say, or how could it get enough votes to become law, but rather, how would initiatives and changes included in new Federal law, (and changes to existing Federal programs), actually be implemented/adopted in both the health care financing and delivery system – with the delivery system being a much harder entity to shift in its operations. (A comparison might be that if changing the direction of the financing system is like changing the course of an aircraft carrier, then changing the direction of the delivery system is like changing the obit of a moon or a comet.)

Let’s hope that all these steps can be undertaken swiftly to improve both clinical and economic outcomes for patients and our entire society.

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