Reforming the U.S. health care system

[Guest guest]

This is an interesting release below based on several things I heard today.

There has been a report on the news about breast cancer. The conclusion was

that the reason the death rate for Black women was higher for minorities was

related to poverty. Lack of access to care is one of the issues addressed in

the proposal below.

The second issue that was that I got a call today from a breast cancer

advocate who has a contract to develop materials for both breast and

prostate cancer. She was amazed how easy it was for her to find the

information that she needed on the web for breast cancer and how little

there was related to prostate cancer. She was researching QOL issues. She

needed studies and they just are not there. How will prostate cancer fare if

a system is set up based on the principles listed below for prostate cancer.

Our research is just in its infancy and dollars are being cut.

Got a call from someone tonight that Dr Tim on NBC new tonight

criticized the new budget proposal for medical research since it is again a

cut. We need to work to be sure that prostate cancer research moves forward

so that if and when any of this proposal moves forward we are not caught

with bad outcomes for patients. Advocates need to be involved so that the

voice of the patients is heard before rules are finalized. According to a

lobbyist friend I spoke to the other night it takes an average of 7 years

for any bill to make it through the legislature. We have time but need to

get involved and speak out when we have an opportunity now.

Nation's leading physician groups join together to announce principles for

reforming the U.S. health care system

For immediate release

January 11, 2007

Washington, DC –Ten of the nation's leading physician associations speak

with one voice to release principles to reform the U.S. health care system.

This unity among physician groups is intended to help provide the impetus

for bipartisan Congressional action to cover the uninsured. Recognizing that

many newly elected Members of Congress campaigned on fixing the heath care

system, the Principles serve as a guide for Congress to improve both

individual health and the collective health care system in the U.S.

The Principles For Reform of the U.S. Health Care System released today call

for the following actions:

1. Health care coverage for all is needed to ensure quality of care and to

improve the health status of Americans.

2. The health care system in the U.S. must provide appropriate health care

to all people within the U.S. borders, without unreasonable financial

barriers to care.

3. Individuals and families must have catastrophic health coverage to

provide protection from financial ruin.

4. Improvement of health care quality and safety must be the goal of all

health interventions, so that we can assure optimal outcomes for the

resources expended.

5. In reforming the health care system, we as a society must respect the

ethical imperative of providing health care to individuals, responsible

stewardship of community resources, and the importance of personal health

responsibility.

6. Access to and financing for appropriate health services must be a shared

public/private cooperative effort, and a system which will allow

individuals/employers to purchase additional services or insurance.

7. Cost management by all stakeholders, consistent with achieving quality

health care, is critical to attaining a workable, affordable and sustainable

health care system.

8. Less complicated administrative systems are essential to reduce costs,

create a more efficient health care system, and maximize funding for health

care services.

9. Sufficient funds must be available for research (basic, clinical,

translational and health services), medical education, and comprehensive

health information technology infrastructure and implementation.

10. Sufficient funds must be available for public health and other essential

medical services to include, but not be limited to, preventive services,

trauma care and mental health services.

11. Comprehensive medical liability reform is essential to ensure access to

quality health care.

For the entire press release:

http://www.ama-assn.org/ama/pub/category/17206.html

C. Meade

 

 

We could certainly slow the aging process down if it had to work its way

through Congress.

-- Will