Now that healthcare reform has passed in this country, and we have joined the ranks of other western industrialized nations that take care of their sick and poor the hard work begins – putting the legislation into action.  Today, the Reconciliation Bill was passed in the Senate and insurance companies agreed to implement one of the first actions of the new law, which is to ensure that children with pre-existing conditions will not lose their coverage.  Seems incredible, doesn’t it, that we had to fight this long to protect our children?

Anyway, what is next on the health reform agenda is to find a leader who can help us redesign a delivery system that is wasteful, inefficient and costly – while maintaining the best aspects of care that people in this country benefit from.  I was pleased to see that Dr. Donald Berwick, professor of pediatrics at Harvard Medical School, is being tapped to lead Medicare and Medicaid. He seems like an experienced health researcher and innovator, spending almost two decades working to help our nation’s hospitals find ways out of the costly morass that is our delivery system.  I’m sure he realizes that one of the key things he would need to address is how we can reduce the amount of needless care that is dispensed, ensuring that health outcomes are in proportion to the amount we spend.  This isn’t rationing care, but rather making smarter healthcare decisions that are more temperate in nature with an eye toward affordable care.  For instance, when my mother-in-law was in the later stages of Alzheimer’s her physician prescribed an osteoporosis drug that was about $200/month. Certainly, this drug was not going to improve her quality of life or her health at this stage of her disease.  This is just one small example of how prudent and rational choices can save money, and not jeopardize quality of care.

I’m pleased we’ve started our journey of reform, but I have to caution that it’s a long, cumbersome and complex road ahead.  However, we shouldn’t lose patience or sight of the end goal of providing the best healthcare in the world at an affordable cost for all individuals, companies, and federal, state and county governments.  Don’t you just love a good challenge?

• Previous Entry: Waiting for Healthcare Reform
• Next Entry: Let Healthcare Consumerism Reign