If you were put in the position to reform our country's health care system, what would your plan be? What would be the key points for your plan and where are your biggest areas of focus? Please be thoughtful and give plenty of depth to your response. Keep in mind that your plan should hold a sense of practicality and reasonable implementation.
Here is a link to an article in the New England Journal of Medicine by Dr. Steven A. Shroder. It is his opinion of what our country needs to do to reform the system. Respond to what he believes. Be thorough.
http://content.nejm.org/cgi/content/full/357/12/1221
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7 comments:
I concur with Dr. Shroder's ideas about the importance of focusing our efforts on combating obesity and poor health, particularly in the lower classes.
Politicians like Hilary Clinton believe the answer is simply providing everyone health care, but this simplistic proposal neglects the primary factor causing poor health in America--poverty and the poor health decisions that result.
For that reason, McCain's focus on education, particularly of young children, on factors that cause obesity seems an important step in combating health issues. I also know that many businesses currently offer incentives to , for example, nonsmokers and also offer health care memberships to employees and provide hours in the work day for exercise. If I were to make a plan to improve health care in America, I would push for this education and offer incentives to businesses that encourage their employees to maintain good health instead of throwing more money at a broken system. I realize that part of this proposal would be aimed at those who are employed, which many of our poorer citizens are not; however, this seems a step in the right direction.
We can put as many tax dollars as we want toward providing health care for the economically challenged, but until those citizens have better health, it doesn't seem as though this struggle will relent.
Focus on wellness - regardless of whatever reform is attempted.
i believe we need to focus on preventitive health issues for everyone. Part of that responsibility lies in the fast food industry as well. Arby's has a salad and is marketing it as a healthy choice, yet it has more fat and calories than a Big Mac. These companies are more concerned with the bottom line than in actually helping people make good choices. That being said, we can't overlook the need for personal responsibility. We all know we need to excercise more, but what percentage of people are actually doing that? There needs to be some type of incentive for fitness - perhaps lower costs? At some point everyone needs to work together (companies and consumers) to work this out. Plus, I believe we all need to have access to some basic level of insurance.
I agree with Lauren, we definitely need to focus on combating childhood and adult obesity. How do we do this? Should we have time in our day, say 2 hours for lunch, that we, as a staff, would be able to exercise. If we prevent a lot of these health care problems through exercise, just like the death rate has decreased over the last 30 years from an increased campaigns against smoking, our little world would be a better place. P.E. classes for everyone!
So we're saying individual responsibility is the key factor? Preventative measures such as education, wellness, what have you, may propel the ideal of healthier lifestyles, but does that solve the problem?
Look at all the factors that contribute to a lack of wellness within the American population. We have a myriad of current resources that educate people on healthy living, yet nothing seems to give. Don't get me wrong; I believe preventative measures will be more beneficial and cost effective in the long run. Do we need to open up new doors to promote healthier living? How do you educate further? Does legislation need to get more involved creating further policies? In the end, it all comes down to personal choice and personal decision making.
A "Population Health" movement is an outstanding way to educate the population and in turn help to eventually lower health care costs. I think too ofeten the lower socio-economic groups are left out in the cold. It will take communities working together to educate them so that we can in turn lower costs. Below is a list of items that different levels of government can do in order to institute a population health plan:
The information comes from http://www.phac-aspc.gc.ca - A population Health Care Web Site.
"What Can You Do?
At the federal level, our job is to create a climate for improving health by providing coordination and leadership; encouraging federal, provincial and territorial collaboration; providing the public and other stakeholders with the information and tools they need; collaborating on an international level to share information; and developing the infrastructure to institutionalize the population health approach
At the provincial and territorial level, the challenges include collaborating across ministries and levels of government to develop healthy public policies; developing health goals and accountability frameworks that reflect the population health approach; balancing investments across the health system; and providing regular information to members of the public about health status
The private sector can do its part by ensuring that it provides a safe and healthy working environment that has opportunities for continuous learning; that it takes into account its responsibilities for protecting the environment; and that it contributes to the overall well-being of the community
At the local level, communities can focus their energies on developing partnerships that address the determinants of health; planning and providing high-quality services; sharing information and resources designed to maximize health impacts; and involving citizens in setting priorities and implementing programs
As individuals, we can all contribute by taking responsibility for our own health and well-being; actively seeking out the information we need to make informed health decisions; building supportive communities; and participating in community activities that have an impact on health."
Dr. Shroder focuses on educating individuals on issues such as obesity and smoking. McCain's focus on education would fit his outlook. This education would contribute to individuals health and prosperity by equipping people with knowledge and skills for problem solving, and will help provide a sense of control and mastery over life circumstances.
In response to lgaffney and Dr. Shroder: This is the dilemma, does the government need to legislate health before it legislates health care? Our nation's life expectancy has dropped, though technology and medical innovation has provided opportunities for a healthier and prolonged life. Maybe our independent, don't tell me how to live my life, I'll eat what I want and how much I want attitude in the U.S. is at the root of our health crisis. Legislate what is put on our plates, then maybe our costs for controlable illness care will be reduced.
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