Wednesday, June 25, 2014

Health VS Sickness

The article below offers three thoughts about how we can alter our healthcare system in America to be a healthcare system aimed at health instead of sickness.  This is idea that has been mentioned before and that I fully support. We need to encourage people to want to stay healthy instead of only worry about it after it’s too late and their medical expenses soar. The three suggestions from the article are as follows. 1) Institute a common language for measuring health. Very similar to the GAAP (Generally Accepted Accounting Principles) in the business world, this would mean an easy way to compare healthcare companies and return on health investment. In other words, making information more available and understandable for consumers. 2) Create business models that make money on health not sickness. Here in the U.S. the overwhelming majority of health providers are only compensated when treating sicknesses. This model completely destroys any incentives for new and existing companies to advocate for staying/getting healthy. Luckily, as the article states with new technology and a few new businesses beginning to practice this model, this could all change in a few years. A system where providers can make money on health care instead of sick care is after all a bit more ethical. The third, and last suggestions from this article, is to drive care to lower acuity settings. In other words, inform people as early as possible about what health risks they face, and how to control, monitor and, effectively treat them so they can maintain a healthy lifestyle. The most important factor when it comes to a person’s health is their overall lifestyle, from diet to exercise. Getting people to realize this and to take it seriously is one of the biggest and most critical steps in reforming a healthcare system based on health not sickness. In short, with more access to information, introduction of new techniques and business models, and education and awareness, a new system based on health opposed to sickness is not only plausible, but in the near future. 

EVERA. Everyone should feel this good about healthcare.

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