Who Needs a Five Year Plan?
Doctors, hospitals, drug companies and insurers are presenting President Obama with a ten year plan today. They vow to cut the growth rate of national health care spending by 1.5 percentage points each year – an amount that's equal to over $2 trillion – over the next 10 years.
And what new, exciting and innovative ideas do they have that no one else has thought of before?
Signers of the letter said that large amounts could be saved by aggressive efforts to prevent obesity, coordinate care, manage chronic illnesses and curtail unnecessary tests and procedures; by standardizing insurance claim forms; and by increasing the use of information technology, like electronic medical records.
Say that again?
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YVMU9My0bLk
Glory Days
John,
I am completely with you. If it were that easy…remember that old saying, “easier said, then done.”
Prevent obesity, coordinate care, manage chronic illness, curtail unnecessary test and procedures, standardize insurance claims forms, increasing the use of medical technology….
I feel my hand slapping my forehead. Wish we’d have thought of it. Oh yeah, that’s what private industry has been trying to accomplish over the past ten years … at least. See the following blog to follow much of this transpire http://www.ilovebenefits.wordpress.com
And why will they be able to accomplish this now in time to save $2T over the next 10 years?
This is really amazing. Save $2 trillion without a single new idea on how to get that done? Who are these guys trying to kid?
What’s more amazing is that they are going to do all this without anybody “feeling no pain.” Glory days!
5 year plans were a fixture of the Soviet economy. They didn’t work well there, either. Not that the Soviets didn’t keep trying…
The WSJ says those health care companies “Signing On to an Obama Dream” have ensured that it’s only a matter of “when” health care rationing begins:
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB124208364853008485.html
Here is Keith Hennessey’s humorous take on this:
http://keithhennessey.com/2009/05/11/the-presidents-silly-health-care-announcement/
There were no companies signing on to the Obama health care plans. They were lobbying groups or trade associations, and heavily regulated ones at that, with the exception of SEIU which is a union.
AEI Fellow Thomas Miller has some interesting thoughts on what the taxpayers will be up against
when the “10 year plan” goes into effect:
http://blog.american.com/?p=573