Health Care Reform Now!: A Prescription for Change

10 Responses to “Health Care Reform Now!: A Prescription for Change”

1. 

   Aston
   

   27. Aug, 2009

   5.0 out of 5 stars
   A Intricate Theme
   After reading this book and all the reviews, it is clear that shape care reform is a intricate theme that even many industry experts cannot agree on.
2. 

   Philena
   

   27. Aug, 2009

   Halvorson has initiated a broadcast exchange about shape care in the United States. Halvorson postulates that adequate healthcare can be provided to everybody without increasing the cost of care. He would take advantage of the following:

   * A small underground of the shape care consumers use the foremost part of shape care dollars. The bulk of this is attributed to chronic illness that goes untreated until it becomes an acute (and expensive) crisis.

   * The multi-provider model of shape care currently in the market is extremely inefficient, especially when coupled with paper medical records.

   * Cost shifting as the uninsured present to hospitals or emergency departments where they cannot be turned away. This is the most expensive care possible. These costs are shifted to private insurers.

   Halvorson designs the thought of an IV or Infrastructure Vendor. The IVs will make medical record systems allowing individual providers access to all the information they need for a uncomplaining’s total care. Reminders for tests and treatments for chronic illness will come up.

   Halvorson sees that one primary problem with the American shape care system is a terribly incented market. Financial incentives exist for treating illness, not for securing shape. His solution is to capitate payments for chronic illness so that the providers have more incentive to keep their patients healthy.

   Finally, Halvorson would require shape coverage for everybody so that no cost-shifting occurs. Halvorson embraces the “six sigma” concept for shape care providers adhering to best practices and evidence based medicine.

   Halvorson’s dependence on medical information systems to help solve shape problems is wishful thinking. The system deployed by Kaiser has been described as implemented in a way that fails to fulfill the requirements that Halvorson raises. One employee told me that she could order a vasectomy on a woman without raising any errors or flags.

   Another problem is Halvorson’s failure to address the roles of line workers. While he cheers for 6-sigma, he ignores the wisdom of Total Quality Management or other programs designed to allow worker participation to help solve system problems. Again, this is a complaint of Kaiser employees who have some influence in corporate processes, but are mostly ignored when it’s time for the huge choice.

   Still, Halvorson has excellent thoughts, which ought not to be really discounted. Providing preventative shape care for chronic conditions CAN drastically lower care costs. Kaiser is one of the few insurance systems that provides full chemical addiction care at no superfluous payment, thus saving the costs of liver transplants, heart failure, pancreatitis, and other drug and alcohol related problems.

   Reckon of this book as a exchange starter … a point of early a national dialog to go national shape care forward.
3. 

   Gustav
   

   27. Aug, 2009

   5.0 out of 5 stars
   Healthcare Reform Now!
   Very informational, brilliant vision and resolution thinking.
   Certainly the Six Sigma process can be extremely beneficial.
4. 

   Bisma
   

   27. Aug, 2009

   The chapter on chronic conditions is a very fascinating read–as is the author’s argument that we need to identify people with these conditions (based on better data) and intervene before their conditions progress to a higher cost state–chronic disease costs the shape care system a fortune. The problem with this chapter (and a central argument in this book) is that it has already proven to be unworkable and untrue. The Congressional Budget Personnel analyzed the watershed of literature on disease management and concluded it does not lead to savings. The interventions the author speaks of are often not successful, nor cost saving. Indeed, if the argument were right, the own author’s shape plot–which rigorously practices case management and disease management–would have already seen the cost savings. The fact that the shape plot’s costs (and premiums) are no lower–and in some cases are higher–than the industry average is a passionate counterargument. Moreover, the author himself–a self acknowledged heart attack uncomplaining is yet another model of why early interventions for chronic disease patients are often not successful. An overweight uncomplaining with high cholesterol can visit his physician–who may prescribe diet, exercise and cholesterol medication…but then, it in the uncomplaining’s hands to follow doctors order and modify his or her lifestyle accordingly. Many do not. How to not only encourage–but ensure–high risk patients purse lifestyles that contain healthy eating and active living may be the central challenge facing medicine–and our county–today.
5. 

   Phomello
   

   27. Aug, 2009

   5.0 out of 5 stars
   Fantastic Practical Guide to Shape Care Reform
   George Halverson does an exceptional job at laying out the foremost issues facing the United States shape care sector and systematically making practical suggestions for reform…
6. 

   Anonymous
   

   27. Aug, 2009

   As a former Council staffer working toward my PhD in shape care policy, I looked forward to reading a book on shape reform written by the CEO of one of the largest shape plans in the U.S, but I was very disapointed by this book. First of all, I thought Halvorson made many similar arguments Michael Porter makes in his book, Redefining Shape Care…. Porter makes a convincing argument that we need a right “market” for shape care that rewards quality outcomes (and considers costs). but Halvorson’s patronizing “aw schucks” writing style and dull, yet self agrandizing personal anecdotes about his own shape and chief Kaiser really wear on the booklover (compared to Porter’s book which is a fantastic read).

   In addition, through reading this book, I started to question how much the CEO of a membership based HMO really knows (or cares) about the uninsured. If Halvorson (and Kaiser) for that matter really wanted people to have coverage, they would see their honest share of charity care cases (uninsured) instead of sending them to the safety net…something Kaiser is notorious for, at least in California.

   Instead, in his chapter on a plot for complete coverage, Halvorson proposes by a sales tax and employer fees to give everyone coverage…which would mean, more paying members for Kaiser. Not exactly shape care reform now when you get down to it.
7. 

   Lakia
   

   27. Aug, 2009

   5.0 out of 5 stars
   Comprehensive view of opportunities for change.
   This is an brilliant view at a most fascinating time in our history. While some may not follow the level of point, anyone who has experience within the healthcare arena…
8. 

   Winifred
   

   27. Aug, 2009

   5.0 out of 5 stars
   Book review : Shape Care Reform Now by B. Halvorson
   Exceptionally well written book with brilliant, simple to know, and timely problem definition. Obvious the author has significant experience, knowledge, and understanding of…
9. 

   Otis
   

   27. Aug, 2009

   2.0 out of 5 stars
   Disappointed to Find Few Fascinating New Thoughts in this Book
   I wanted to read this book to learn more about Kaiser’s electronic medical records system. I had read about Kaiser’s HealthConnect project to convert paper files to an electronic…
10. 

    Maddox
    

    27. Aug, 2009

    5.0 out of 5 stars
    George Halvorson is right on targer for shape care reform
    George Halvorson has “walked the walk” with shape care in America. He was CEO of Shape Partners in Minneapolis and is now CEO of the entire Kaiser Shape system.