Here’s a riddle – what kind of healthcare reform is it when it doesn’t actually reform? It’s the kind being advocated by President Barack Obama and Senator Harry Reid.
Today, Reuters released a new report finding over $800 billion in waste in the U.S. healthcare system. Much of that waste President Obama hopes to cure with electronic medical records (EMRs). Surely health IT and EMRs will help here.
However, President Obama’s unwillingness to actually address the medical malpractice system is dooming all of his efforts to squeeze defensive medicine from the system (i.e., defensive medicine when physicians order unnecessary tests to evade malpractice claims). This is the real tragedy of healthcare reform. We have the opportunity to enact real, meaningful reform, but we won’t – the lobbyists for the trial lawyers are too deep in bed with Obama to allow for real change. (Remember that word – CHANGE?)
Even more concerning is the revelation that 1 dollar in 5 is outright fraud - $200 billion in criminal fraud. When was the last time you heard President Obama talk about going after dirty doctors that are committing criminal fraud? NEVER.
Here’s the real problem with healthcare reform – too many things are off the table. We can’t have meaningful healthcare reform while our President and Congress are too busy protecting their trial lawyer lobbyist friends and physicians who commit fraud.
We need real healthcare reform and that means putting everything on the table – including Obama’s trial lawyer friends. If Obama and Harry Reid aren’t willing to step up on meaningful reform, maybe we should be their legislation on the back burner until such time as they are willing to tackle fraud and malpractice.
Source:
Reuters
Today, Reuters released a new report finding over $800 billion in waste in the U.S. healthcare system. Much of that waste President Obama hopes to cure with electronic medical records (EMRs). Surely health IT and EMRs will help here.
However, President Obama’s unwillingness to actually address the medical malpractice system is dooming all of his efforts to squeeze defensive medicine from the system (i.e., defensive medicine when physicians order unnecessary tests to evade malpractice claims). This is the real tragedy of healthcare reform. We have the opportunity to enact real, meaningful reform, but we won’t – the lobbyists for the trial lawyers are too deep in bed with Obama to allow for real change. (Remember that word – CHANGE?)
Even more concerning is the revelation that 1 dollar in 5 is outright fraud - $200 billion in criminal fraud. When was the last time you heard President Obama talk about going after dirty doctors that are committing criminal fraud? NEVER.
Here’s the real problem with healthcare reform – too many things are off the table. We can’t have meaningful healthcare reform while our President and Congress are too busy protecting their trial lawyer lobbyist friends and physicians who commit fraud.
We need real healthcare reform and that means putting everything on the table – including Obama’s trial lawyer friends. If Obama and Harry Reid aren’t willing to step up on meaningful reform, maybe we should be their legislation on the back burner until such time as they are willing to tackle fraud and malpractice.
Source: Reuters