FAQ: Could a Healthcare Reform Plan Designed for a Single State Work at a National Level?

Could an approach used 23 years ago by a single state, targeted only at its Medicaid program, be applied on a national scale for reforming the vast U.S. healthcare system? The answer is Yes. Oregon in 1994 decided to cut services instead of cutting patients in response to a Medicaid budget squeeze. The governor used … Continue reading FAQ: Could a Healthcare Reform Plan Designed for a Single State Work at a National Level? →

Private Sector, not Public Policy, Holds the Key to Healthcare Reform — Really?…

Christopher Helmrath, MBA “The Private Sector, not Public Policy, Holds the Key to Better Healthcare" featuring Christopher Helmrath MBA turned out to be as much an infomercial for his investment firm as a discussion of healthcare reform in America. I do not dispute Mr. Helmrath’s investment tip that healthcare is a “good bet.” And I … Continue reading Private Sector, not Public Policy, Holds the Key to Healthcare Reform — Really?… →

Navigating Payment Reform – NEJM Catalyst

Harvard Business School and New England Journal of Medicine Catalyst group convened a webinar on “Navigating Payment Reform for Providers, Payers & Pharma” on November 2. Presenters admirably fulfilled Dr. Dafny’s challenge as convener to be transparent about goals, attuned to new ideas, open to trade-offs, and unafraid of failure. From the perspective of General Systems … Continue reading Navigating Payment Reform – NEJM Catalyst →

Will These Ideas Fix U.S. Healthcare?

Almost everyone agrees that the U.S. healthcare system needs to be fixed. For example, each of the 2016 Presidential candidates promised to fix it. Now that the election is over, heated debate continues over 2 basic questions: What, exactly, is the problem? How, then, should it be fixed? My answer to the first question is: … Continue reading Will These Ideas Fix U.S. Healthcare? →

FAQ – Why Did Oregon Health Plan Fail in 2002?

The Oregon Health Plan took effect in 1994, but ended in failure in 2002. This blog explains that the failure was caused by external circumstances and by an internal policy error that can be avoided – provided that we learn a lesson from Oregon’s experience. Here are the straight answers explaining why OHP failed, and … Continue reading FAQ – Why Did Oregon Health Plan Fail in 2002? →