Local experts from Chelsea Community Hospital talk health reform with Congressman Mark Schauer
Creating better incentives for young physicians to become primary care doctors would go a long way in helping local health care, a collection of health experts from Chelsea Community Hospital said Tuesday morning.
Talking in a roundtable-style discussion, the group also said simplifying and improving reimbursement rates from public and private insurers and creating better incentives for preventative and chronic care are also needed.
They were meeting with Congressman Mark Schauer, D-Battle Creek, to discuss their local perspective on the national health care reform bill that's stirred heated debate across the country about the best way to handle the health care system's growing costs.
One of the participants, Misha Moore, a member of the hospital's board of directors who helps run her husband's pediatric primary care office, pointed out the complexity of the billing system.
Their office spends $4,000 per month in administrative costs to make sure they are getting paid, she said. They may bill a provider such as Blue Cross Blue Shield $150, but they will only receive $100. Tricare would only pay $75, and Medicaid would pay $50, she said.
"We’re writing off two-thirds of the cost," she said. "That’s unrecognized charity care.”.
She wanted to know how reimbursement would be simplified.
Schauer said the bill, which is still undergoing changes, would create more efficiencies into the payment system and support systems like patient-centered medical homes, a coordinated care method that’s been hailed as a way to creating more efficient care by creating a stronger relationship between patients and their clinician.
He also said he supports amendments to the bill that would support wellness programs and make changes to the Medicare Part D prescription drug program.
In the wake of campaigns and loud protests organized against the measure, Schauer implored the health professionals to advocate for better education about the facts of bill.
"I believe we have a broken health care system. It's not sustainable in the long run," Schauer said. "It's not sustainable for families who use the emergency room for, I won't even say primary care, I'll just say care. (It’s not sustainable) for those who are paying more out of pocket. It's not sustainable for businesses ... who are seeing double digit increases in premiums," he said, defending the purpose of moving forward with the bill for “moral” and “economic” reasons.
Before the roundtable, Kathleen Griffiths, hospital president and chief executive officer, gave Schauer a tour and discussed some of the ways the hospital has been dealing with rising costs, including information technology improvements.
Schauer praised the hospital for its efforts in dealing with increasing costs, including large jumps in charity and uncompensated care, as well as physician and nursing shortages, seen by hospitals across the country.
Check back for more later in the day. Tina Reed can be reached at tinareed@annarbor.com.
Comments
llspier
Wed, Aug 26, 2009 : 4:07 p.m.
Schauer's lack of concern for what the voters want is obvious. His 'teleconference' didnt allow any but a pre-selected few to ask any questions. It was an exercise in pretending to attend to business without doing so. The only town meetings he held were with a group of invited seniors and health care employees in Eaton County that he kept secret and when he met with the PAID, BUSSED-IN pro-health care union bunch in Jackson. Check the SEIU homepage in Muskegon for their report. They arent even in his district! Schauer has his mind made up and the heck with what his constituents want! Why ask him questions? He hasnt read the bill(s). And, no congressmen wrote the bills-special interest groups behind the scenes write them and congress wont even read them to know what's in them. It hasnt taken us very long to realize we cant trust Schauer. Hope he cant do too much more damage before the election! I wonder which special interest agreed to pay off his whopping big fine for campaign finance irregularities if he'd just goose-step along behind Pelosi?
Corey
Wed, Aug 26, 2009 : 11:05 a.m.
First of all, why would any congressman hold a town hall meeting anymore. The naivety is in the general population about health care reform. It obvious that there are very few citizens who have taken the time to even read the first 100 pages of the bill and yet they will trust people like Rush Limbaugh and Sarah Palin on the details of the bill. What kind of country do we live in thinking that there would be so-called "Death Panels" from our government? Have we forgotten that there is a reason why our country is so great and it does have to do with our government not just the people?
rwshas
Wed, Aug 26, 2009 : 10:47 a.m.
He should have a real townhall meeting. Hiding behind the idea that everyone is yelling to much helps avoid addressing the real issues of health care. Medicare, Social Sec., The Post office are all broke. You think the gov. is going to make health care cheaper? Better? Wake up. Free enterprise solves the problems of this country and the world. When was something that helped mankind invented in Cuba or Russia? Never. If you want to have government health care just move to Europe. Leave our country and our healthcare free.
Top Cat
Wed, Aug 26, 2009 : 7:31 a.m.
Schauer has an obligation to look his constituents in the eye, tell them if he has actually read any of the bills and explain his position. He has an obligation to look people in the eye and listen to their concerns. Hiding behind a teleconference that he controls is unacceptable.
Olan Owen Barnes
Tue, Aug 25, 2009 : 11:09 p.m.
He is acting like a coward not meeting with the voters and a year from November he may very well be booted out. The history of the USA is a rockus debate of the issues is our first amendment right be it civil or loud and the meek will simply not be heard. John Adams may not have felt the need to campaign or have debates but he also did not have a second term and the incumbents will not either. Heck - I was called for a telephone conference - that may be fine for work but not for the general politic. Those that fear the voters will have to pay the piper a year from November. BTW he is my congressman and I have voted in every election since 1968. My degree was in Political Science and I have been a student of government ever since. He lost me on the call on my opportunity to input a PIN number and be in a phone call conference.
LGChelsea
Tue, Aug 25, 2009 : 9:41 p.m.
If I were any of the politicians TRYING to hold townhall meetings, I would be exhausted and disgusted by the disrespect and interruptions of attempts to explain the proposed health care reform program. I have been to a townhall meeting and tried to ask a simple, practical question. Other "participants" yelled and screamed throughout any attempt to have an issue explained. People were prevented from speaking by rude and childlike behavior that I, as a constituent, was embarrassed by. The lies and fearmongering being fomented are old and tiring. We need to get a grip on our country and bring back civility so that those serious about listening to facts about future health care are able to get the information they desire.
maynard
Tue, Aug 25, 2009 : 6:08 p.m.
Congress is so naive when it comes to health care reform. The "cash for clunkers" is just another example of how inept the government is so why do they think they can manage healthcare and who will pay for it????
rubyslippers324
Tue, Aug 25, 2009 : 1:56 p.m.
Schauer already had an open town hall meeting via teleconference with 100,000 constituents earlier this month. I don't see how this is hiding....
Top Cat
Tue, Aug 25, 2009 : 12:37 p.m.
Mark Schauer won't have an open town hall meeting with his constituents on health care reform. At the rate he is going, which is putting California's interests over Michigan's, he only has 16 more months to hide.