I recently attended the 2nd Annual National Association of Healthcare Advocacy Consultants (NAHAC) conference in Washington, DC. The attendees for this event tripled from the previous year which demonstrates the growing interest and need for independent healthcare advocates and concern for the future of our healthcare system. A healthcare advocate’s primary goal is to help individuals navigate the healthcare system and get the best care possible by making informed decisions.
We were fortunate to have some terrific speakers at the conference who shared best practices and trends for the U.S. healthcare system. One of the most dynamic speakers was Robert Kocher, M.D. who is a principal at McKinsey and Company where he leads the McKinsey Center for Health Reform. Prior to this role, he served in the Obama Administration as Special Assistant to the President for Healthcare and Economic Policy.
Whether you support the new Affordable Care Act or not, it is to your advantage to understand what the law means and how it will affect you and your family. The web site http://www.healthcare.gov provides education on the law in a simplified format.
The growing trend of Patient-Centered Medical Homes was discussed along with current research that shows this model can significantly reduce hospital admissions and re-admissions. The new health reform law includes funding to help primary care providers transform their practice into a Medical Home model. The Medical Home offers a team approach to patient care. Education and preventative care are a key component to this model. In addition to the primary care physician, other healthcare professionals are utilized when the need arises (ie. nutritionists, diabetes counseling). Chronic illnesses are better managed and ultimately healthcare costs are reduced.
Dr. Richard Gilfillan, former CEO of Geisinger Health System, successfully ran this Medical Home model in Pennsylvania and has now been appointed to run the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services Innovation Center. One of the goals of the CMS Innovation Center is to test innovative payment and service delivery methods to reduce Medicare and Medicaid cost while delivering higher quality healthcare. I think we can all agree that we need to reduce Medicare/Medicaid costs and improve our health outcomes. Hopefully, for our generation and those behind us, this center will be successful and it will provide practical methods from proven research and pilot programs that can be embraced quickly throughout our healthcare system.
For more information about NAHAC, you can visit http://www.nahac.com
All very good points!