The concept of value-based health care might sound good. After all, who does not appreciate value?
But the devil is in the details. Value-based care means that some type of corporate entity is controlling or powerfully influencing the medical care that a physician provides for his or her patient. It is a way to control costs. Often (but not always) the corporate entity is a structure called an Accountable Care Organization.
But what if the corporate entity has a financial incentive to withhold care that is needed or that is beneficial? And what if the patient never learns there are better alternatives? Those things will inevitably happen.
Yesterday, I learned that Senator Thom Tillis is promoting— and the North Carolina Medical Society is cheering on– precisely this kind of administrative structure designed to put shackles around physicians in their efforts to help patients. This is organized medicine at work.
How is he worthless? Let us count the ways.
TC: I have done some research on the Value in Health Care Act . Could find no entity opposing it . I have read the bill and lots of other sources on it and quite frankly, really don’t understand how it would benefit the patients or their Doctors.
Help us out here.
Fred, it does not benefit doctors whatsoever; and it will not help patients’ medical care. It can make patients’ premiums cheaper than they otherwise would be– but not necessarily. It has the potential to save some Medicare costs for certain types of plans– i.e., taxpayer monies and/or deficit dollars.
The bill deals with Medicare; but the model of value-based care is also applied to group health insurance at times and other types of health insurance.
This is a path we ought not be taking– unless the patient knowingly chooses it. The problem is that the patient usually has no way of knowing or understanding what is truly happening with this plans. There are other ways to save money on health insurance.
I like Medicare and my supplemental . I pay premiums on both but don’t recall having a co-pay for any service for me or my wife since 2005. If this bill is passed and it changes the way things for the worse , then yes, I say a pox on Thom Tillis and the rest of the congress-critters.
Fred, folks can still choose the type of Medicare plans you have. But they are lured by free or very low cost private Medicare plans that incorporate these features, and they often don’t understand the implications.
We worried about socialized medicine. But it collectivized in the other direction: We have a fascist medical system.
If you doubt me, look at the total loss of autonomy by physicians during the Plandemic, their careers destroyed if they didn’t toe the protocol of the corrupt CDC.
It was already headed that way, but Obamacare gave it one heck of a shove.
You are absolutely right, Healey, that the health care industry has become fascistic. But fascism is a form of socialism, and we have it, full blown. Leaders like Tillis are always looking for ways to push it more in that direction.
Triad, I agree with you regarding Tillis. A typical Uniparty neocon.
Granted that socialism and fascism devolve in the same direction (effectively something mighty close to feudalism)…but there are important distinctions definitionally. Fascism allows for putative or ostensible “private ownership” but with government very much in control where it matters. Insurance companies, hospitals, health corporations, AMA, big Pharma, et al are in an evil marriage with government — the massive subsidies & the regulatory state providing the bed where in the do the dark deed.
Absolutely correct again, Healey. And Covid made it clear for all to see, as you had suggested.