What a New President May Mean for American Healthcare
In the midst of improving a problem economy, managing wars overseas, and choosing the right breed of first dog, our new president, Barack Obama, includes reforming healthcare as a goal for his next four years.
We know just how necessary that goal is. Healthcare in America is highly dysfunctional. It’s too expensive, it’s not as effective as it should be, it can be dangerous, and more than 45 million Americans can’t access the system because they have no insurance.
The shame is that excellent care is here to be had, but the dysfunction makes it nearly impossible to attain. Few of the participants are satisfied – not patients, not practitioners, nor many payers.
What direction will Mr. Obama take to reform our healthcare system? The goal, of course, is to improve access and effectiveness, and control costs, too. Is that balance even possible? What can Americans expect from their newly inaugurated president?
While we may wish for maximum service at bargain basement pricing, that is impossible and unattainable. Forget about it.
In the short term, expect confusion and no more. Special interests will weigh in. Lobbyists will do their best to make sure that those who profit from the system will continue to profit. Those with a heart will continue to remind us of the disgrace that are so many people who have no access to regular healthcare. We who are footing the bill, both as patients and taxpayers, will want our say as to how the increased costs will be borne.
As the new system is implemented, our confusion will be compounded by frustration with new, and in some cases unintended, consequences. As care gets more expensive, payment may shift to taxes instead of premiums. Rationing will take place. Patients who haven’t learned to be responsible and proactive will find themselves on the short end of the healthcare stick.
It has taken more than 30 years for our healthcare system to get so out of whack. It might take another 30 years to straighten it out. Yes, there will be some improvements along the way. If we are lucky, an entirely reformed, functional and acceptable system will work well in time to care for our children.
Don’t expect improvement overnight. For now, we best manage our own expectations by anticipating years of pain before we see worthwhile gain. |
