Happy New Year! We’ve just entered 2011 and already there’s lots of healthcare news to ponder: a Republican House that wants to repeal healthcare reform; new health plans coming into the market that ask employees to consider getting free services in exchange for huge penalties if they have an overused procedure, and; rising deductibles and premiums. I’m looking for the silver lining.
Although there is room for improvement, healthcare costs and overuse are hardly just the patient’s fault. In fact, we may ask for too much, but until very recently insurers, pharmaceutical companies, doctors, hospitals, and government didn’t seem to mind. It’s true we’ve been talking about senior care for years, and how they use up too much of our healthcare dollars. But now it’s not just old age taking the hit, but all sick people. It’s as though the powers that be just can’t find enough groups to blame for our lack of oversight.
Before I can become a thoroughly functioning healthcare consumer, however, I’m going to need a little help: tell me what things costs first, educate me about treatment options and their efficacy ratings, and maybe even help me understand how the system works so that I can find ways to be more efficient within it.
In the past, the only place to gather information about my health needs was the doctor’s office; only most of the time they don’t have the cost information I need to make smarter healthcare decisions about my health. A web platform like My Health and Money is growing to become a one-stop shop for savings, education, peer-to-peer conversations, and in January a place to ask experts questions, get appointments and understand costs. We need more options for helping us take control of our care and our costs. But I don’t think second guessing all medical recommendations is the answer. Am I really supposed to know which procedures are overly prescribed, and which ones aren’t? This doesn’t really bode well for a trusting relationship with my doctor. I’m perfectly capable of asking questions if I have a baseline of information, but medical school must be worth something, right? I’m hoping 2011 doesn’t become another year of endless debate about whose responsible for rising healthcare costs. I think we know the answer — we’re all at fault.
