The Mayo Clinic Health Policy Center and Health Affairs hosted a national symposium Achieving the Vision: Advancing High-Value Health Care December 5-7, 2010. The fourth panel discussion focused on critical issues in future phases of health care reform.
Moderator:
- Joanne Silberner, University of Washington and National Public Radio contributor
Panelists:
- Helen Darling, President, National Business Group on Health
- Shelia Burke, R.N., M.P.A., F.A.A.N., Faculty Research Fellow, Malcolm Wiener Center for Social Policy
- Linda Fishman, Senior Vice President, Public Policy Analysis and Development, American Hospital Association (AHA)
- Janet Corrigan, Ph.D., President and CEO, The National Quality Forum (NQF)
- Carolyn Clancy, M.D., Director, Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ)
Moderator Joanne Silberner asked the panelists to identify the most important issue now, considering the current political environment in Washington DC. Janet Corrigan, Ph.D., NQF, said the focus must be on giving the right care at the right time. Shelia Burke added that ensuring patients’ access and choice of health care providers is crucial. Helen Darling said that there needs to be a focus on patient-centered safety and quality in health care delivery. Carolyn Clancy, M.D., noted that the upstream cost of chronic disease must be addressed. The AHA’s Linda Fishman recommended that providers achieve clinical coordination.
Silberner posed the controversial question of whether financial pressures will lead to health care rationing. “We already have rationing that is irrational,” noted Fishman. “We need to look at overuse, waste and misuse. It’s very costly, and we can change that.”
Dr. Corrigan added that patients need to have some financial stake in their care. She said that when patients are invested, costs go down, and suggested a broader communications effort to educate the public about the need for value in health care. “Polls show the majority of the public don’t see overuse as a concern yet, but we can change that perception like we did with safety issues,” said Corrigan
Asked about what will happen with implementation of the Affordable Care Act (ACA), Fishman said that delivery system reform efforts — such as Accountable Care Organization, and bundling of care – have bipartisan support and that these efforts should go full speed ahead.
Dr. Corrigan and Burke agreed that a lot of the tough decisions will be made at the state and regional levels. Burke said the question will be how much freedom the Department of Health and Human Services gives to the states with health exchanges and the CMMI demonstration projects.
Below you will find video of four of the panelists as well as the moderator of the session on critical issues in future phases of health care reform:
Sheila Burke:
Carolyn Clancy:
Helen Darling:
Linda Fishman:
Joanne Silberner:
