Access
Providence believes that health care is a basic human right. No one should ever become sick – or worse, lose their life – because they couldn’t access basic and preventive health care. Health care reform should make sure everybody, whether they are covered by private insurance or a government program, has a primary care provider and access to the necessary specialty care. Health care reform should, if nothing else, make sure all people are able to receive good care – close to home and without waiting.
> Primary Care/Patient-Centered Health Home
Affordability
Health care spending continues to rise at a rapid rate, adding to families’ and employers’ financial burden. National studies are showing that the primary reason people are uninsured is the high cost of health insurance coverage. About 1.5 million families lose their homes to foreclosure every year due to unaffordable medical costs.1 To help make health care more affordable for everyone, health care reform should:
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Create new insurance rules to make sure all people have adequate health coverage.
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Find ways to pay doctors, hospitals and other health providers that reward getting healthy results for patients, not providing more treatments.
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Empower patients to be a partner in their health care with their providers and insurance companies to make sure they receive the care they need in the most affordable way.
> Medicare Advantage
> Reforming the Private Insurance Market and Creating a Public Option
Quality
Providence believes that no one should ever be injured or made sicker by the health care system that is supposed to help them get better. Health care reform must be focused on perfection. Doctors, hospitals and other providers should communicate with each other so that patient care runs smoothly, no matter whether it’s at the hospital, physical therapy or the pharmacy. No one should ever have to be readmitted back into the hospital because they didn’t receive proper instructions or because they couldn’t get an appointment with a doctor for follow-up care.
> Reducing Rates of Preventable Readmissions
Accountability
The health care system in the United States needs to change from confusing, inefficient and wasteful to a system where providers, patients and their families work together towards better health. From the clinic to the hospital to a long-term care setting, resources should be used wisely. We believe the health care system serves our communities; not Wall Street investors. Doctors, hospitals and other providers should be paid to work together as stewards of your health care dollars.
> Accountable Care Organizations
> Bundled Payments
> Reducing Geographic Variation in Spending
> Requirements for Tax-Exempt Hospitals
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Robertson, C.T., et al. “Get Sick, Get Out: The Medical Causes of Home Mortgage Foreclosures,” Health Matrix, 2008
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