Surgery News - March 2009 - (Page 9) MARCH 2009 • SURGERY NEWS PRACTICE TRENDS 9 New Plan Aims to Widen Health Coverage, Cut Costs B Y M A RY E L L E N S C H N E I D E R Else vier Global Medical Ne ws national health insurance exchange that would allow individuals to choose among private plans or a new nationwide public plan is the cornerstone of an expert panel’s proposal to cover nearly all Americans within 2 years and slow the growth of health care spending by nearly $3 trillion over the next decade. The health reform proposal, unveiled by the Commonwealth Fund on Feb. 19, is similar to plans outlined by President Barack Obama and Senate Finance Chairman Max Baucus (D-Mont.). It was developed by the Commonwealth Fund’s Commission on a High Performance Health System, a 19-member panel formed in April 2005 to study possible changes to the delivery and financing of health care. The difference between the Commonwealth Fund’s plan and other policy proposals is that it provides details on implemenation of these broad policies, as well as their financial and clinical consequences, said Karen Davis, president of the Commonwealth Fund. Modeling and estimates outlined in the report were performed by the Lewin Group. Under the proposal, individuals could choose to keep their own coverage or obtain new coverage through the insurance exchange. The public plan would initially be available to those seeking insurance on the individual market and those working for small employers, but by 2014 it would be available to the entire under-65 population, including individuals working for large employers. The public plan would offer benefits similar to the standard option available to federal employees and members of Congress, but at premiums at least 20% lower than those of private plans offered in small group markets. Private plans would be required to guarantee the issue and renewal of policies regardless of health status, and to provide community-rate premiums. But they would be able to stay competitive with the public plan, according to Cathy Schoen, lead author of the report and senior vice president of the Commonwealth Fund, because they would be able to reduce costs such as underwriting and marketing. “The report’s central message is that we all stand to gain by taking bold action,” Ms. Schoen said at a press briefing to release the report. The Commonwealth Fund proposal would impose an individual insurance mandate, but would cap premiums at 5% of income for low-income individuals and 10% for those in higher income tax brackets. It would also require employers to either offer coverage or contribute about 7% of payroll into a coverage trust fund. The Commonwealth Fund proposal endorses moving away from the current fee-for-service system and replacing it with reforms such as bundling payments for acute care episodes, increasing pay- A ment for primary care while decreasing payment for specialty and procedural care, and providing additional payments for practices that provide a patient-centered medical home. Under the proposal, all payment reforms would apply to Medicare, Medicaid, and the new public health plan. The proposal would also raise Medicaid rates to Medicare levels and invest in health information technology, population health, and comparative effectiveness research. The proposal would not lower current costs but could slow the rate of health care spending, according to the Commonwealth Fund. Instead of health care spending rising 6.7% each year over the next 11 years, as predicted by current trends, the increase in spending would slow to about 5.5% per year if the reforms were implemented in 2010. The combination of the proposed insurance and payment system reforms could slow spending by nearly $3 trillion by 2020. Costs incurred by the federal government would climb sharply during the first years of implementing these changes, but could be largely recouped by 2020, according to the report. Under the proposal, the number of uninsured Americans would drop from about 48 million this year to about 4 million by 2012. Without reforms, the uninsured would increase to about 61 million by 2020, according to the Commonwealth Fund. It’s the patient’s own skin. During a procedure, blood and serum diminish the antimicrobial effect of traditional paint and scrub. This . can lead to a surgical site infection. That’s why there’s ChloraPrep® ChloraPrep combines a 2% CHG formulation with innovative, “handsoff” applicators to provide a more effective system for helping reduce infections associated with most resilient skin bacteria, including MRSA. Help stop infection before you start surgery with ChloraPrep. n SUPERIOR to traditional iodophors in reducing skin microorganisms that cause infection n PROVEN in 33 published studies as best practice for helping reduce the risk of infection n INNOVATIVE applicators provide a gentle friction scrub and promote a “hands-off” prep chloraprep.com | 800-523-0502 ©2008 Cardinal Health, Inc. All rights reserved. ChloraPrep is a registered trademark of Cardinal Health, Inc. or one of its subsidiaries. ADV-SBP1008 http://www.chloraprep.com
Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Surgery News - March 2009 Surgery News - March 2009 Contents Trauma Training More for Less? Stress Test Mentoring Surgery News - March 2009 Surgery News - March 2009 - Contents (Page 1) Surgery News - March 2009 - Contents (Page 2) Surgery News - March 2009 - Contents (Page 3) Surgery News - March 2009 - Contents (Page 4) Surgery News - March 2009 - Contents (Page 5) Surgery News - March 2009 - Trauma Training (Page 6) Surgery News - March 2009 - Trauma Training (Page 7) Surgery News - March 2009 - Trauma Training (Page 8) Surgery News - March 2009 - More for Less? (Page 9) Surgery News - March 2009 - Stress Test (Page 10) Surgery News - March 2009 - Stress Test (Page 11) Surgery News - March 2009 - Stress Test (Page 12) Surgery News - March 2009 - Mentoring (Page 13) Surgery News - March 2009 - Mentoring (Page 14) Surgery News - March 2009 - Mentoring (Page 15) Surgery News - March 2009 - Mentoring (Page 16)
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