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 As we approach the first anniversary of the passage of the health reform legislation, the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, the dialogue and tension have not faded. Lawsuits filed by 26 states as of this writing claim the health reform legislation is unconstitutional in that it is viewed as violating an individual's choice as to purchase insurance or not, the so called individual mandate.
In mid January, the House with its newfound Republican majority voted to repeal the health reform legislation completely. Upon completion of the vote, House Republicans were busy seeking alternative ways to solve the problems of health delivery and financing through a series of committees.
We in the healthcare field obviously follow these events even more closely than the general public (which is saying something given the continued public attention to the overall set of issues.) We may even get caught up in thinking that, while a complete repeal is not possible, there may be dramatic changes.
That said, the momentum is still the same as 1 year ago in terms of the needs for reform. There are still a significant number of uninsured people in our country. My home state, Texas, has the highest percentage of uninsured in the nation, still 25 percent. My home county, Dallas, has an incredible 35 percent uninsured!
If the states are successful in removing the individual mandate, those uninsured will still need to be included in a health insurance exchange in some way. And IF some portions of the bill are changed as a reaction to the House vote, there is still incredible power in the pen of the Secretary of Health and Human Services. She or her designee has extensive authority under the current law and this would continue under any foreseeable amendments to it.
So we need to be watchful of these current events, yet truly focus on the future. We need to continue to integrate with our physicians. We need to continue to improve our value equation, i.e., continue to improve the quality, safety and experience for our patients while being even more mindful to cost. We need to provide seamless care across the full continuum of care by partnering with other high value organizations. We need to focus on truly improving the health of the communities we serve. We need to continue our investments in health information technology.
In short, we as health providers and insurers need to continue to solve the problems that led to the health reform legislation. No matter if and how the legislation changes, this is our time. As we have said in previous columns, if not us, who? If not now, when?
The legacy we in the health field leave is our behavior over the next few years. Let us leave a proud one!
Steve Hanson is senior executive vice president for system growth and integration at Texas Health Resources, Arlington.
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