Health Finance
Why Unprepared?
March 29, 2020. Why
unprepared.pdf
In spite of all the warnings, why are we unprepared for
the current pandemic? Why didn't we listen and act? We have a
private healthcare delivery system funded by insurance that is not paid to
fund research or maintain surge capacity. Insurance is for things we
can't do anything about except to pay afterwards. Our medical delivery
system functions as an insurance system. What good is an insurance
payment if it is too late, you already have the disease and treatment is not
available? Insurance is the problem, not the solution.
It Matters What We Call It
February 12, 2020.
Insurance card.pdf
Calling a health plan insurance is not only inaccurate
and sloppy, it frames the financial incentives to reward services to treat
disease and injury rather than targeted towards health as a goal. We
need to eliminate the whole claims process as inefficient and not aligned
with health. It matters that we call it health insurance when it
isn't.
Chronic Healthcare is Not an
Insurable Risk
July 3, 2018
Chronic
Healthcare System Design.pdf
Amidst the dissatisfaction with the healthcare delivery
systems in the United States, many would-be designers want to tweak
operational details while leaving the dysfunctional premises intact.
Here is a summary analyzing why it doesn't work to try to insure an
uninsurable risk, with an outline for a more viable system built on solid
premises. Consulting services are offered.
Yes, But is it Health Insurance?
January 3, 2011
Yes But
is it health insurance MISF.pdf
Many economists, politicians and commentators mention
that going forward, the costs of Medicare and other medical services are the
biggest threat to our economy. Well, I wrote a paper about how to
think out the solution, and here it is! If you like thinking from new
perspectives and alternative paradigms, this is for you. I sent it to
former Senator David Durenberger, now chair of the National Institute of
Health Policy at the University of St. Thomas, and he replied, "I took a
great deal from your article 'yes, but is it health insurance.' I am going
to use it in my health policy class. And probably on other occasions. It is
ahead of its time, certainly way ahead of the current reforms which are
important, but costly."
A Replacement for Health Insurance
Updated October 13, 2019
Replacement for
Health Insurance.pdf Because our nation is now involved in an intense debate about reforming how we pay for health and medical services, I reviewed and edited a paper I did on the subject in 1995 when I was studying the matter as part of a Ph.D. program. The paper describes why insurance is inappropriate for most healthcare services and then suggests one of many possible alternative ways to structure paying for services.
Since the paper is lengthy, I have also included a brief Health Finance Advocacy Statement as well as a biographical statement of my background in healthcare procurement. (Health Finance Bio.pdf.)
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