November 10, 2011 #hchlitss chat followed up on Occupy Healthcare #occupyhealthcare of Sunday November 6, 2011. Our guest was @NateOsit, one of the moderators of #occupyhealthcare.
The chat began with a sharing of information/links to:
· Single-Payer National Health Insurance | Physicians for a National Health Program: http://t.co/pO9eKVfa
Followed by the questions:
Participants listed a number of reasons why it does make sense.
· there are billions worldwide without access to affordable healthcare,
· healthcare has a devolved into a system of perverse profit incentives where profit is more important than people
· there are staggering inequities in health
· there is a disconnect with people being cared for and their health care providers
· people are being bankrupt by medical costs
· unemployed are going w/out heath insurance or paying high premium through COBRA
· works only for those who can pay. Our health care system is very uneven. It is good for some and that is one reason why many don't "see" its faults
· the health insurance many have is “faux” insurance. When something happens they find out that it doesn’t cover their medical expenses
· doesn't address health disparities
· leaving people without health care it increases stress and other factors that influence health
· the healthcare system is set up to profit from treatment, not prevention or curing
· political power is in the hands of the medical –industrial complex
At one point in this part of the discussion, Nata Osit pointed out that something has to be broken when “I worked in a major hospital for 2 years without access to affordable healthcare.”
Clearly there is a problem when the cost of health insurance increased 30% from 2001-2005 yet income from 2001-05 increased only 3% (Robert Wood Johnson Foundation).
How does Occupy Healthcare Connect with Occupy Wall Street #OWS movement?
· Where we connect with the #OWS is that we need to have a political process not dominated by who has the most money in the game
What are some tangible actions that patients, providers, health educators and social scientists can do to change the system of health care?
· Healthcare renaissance will require a cultural renaissance that includes willingness to shared sacrifice and a drive for sustainability
· mobilize 10 people a day to join at bit.ly/rv8Mar
One of the problems in other countries is there is universal care and also a private component. How can we avoid this? There is also a complaint of long waits.
· A Canadian stated that she dreamed of marrying best things from the Canadian system and the US health systems
· Triage is an important part of healthcare. Private systems bypass that. If you have more money you get better, faster care
The US has a disproportionate number of specialists
· We have to acknowledge the huge demographic shift that our specialist-heavy system is NOT prepared for. More primary care physicians are needed
· Specialities offer increased income
· Specialist see fewer patients, are more expensive and less likely to recommend noninvasive/cost effective care
· Primary care physicians need to be paid better
· Primary care physicians need more respect within their profession
· There are incentives for increased primary care physicians in the ACA but they do not go nearly far enough for the change in demographics
· Primary care physicians need to have longer residencies to improve their knowledge and respect in the profession
· Medicare reimbursement committee needs to have fewer specialists, more open, not privately run http://t.co/YRdKpMrV
A distribution of care is important.
· Distribution of “great care” that great care...like endocrinologists...are at academic centers
· We need the access for all who need those specialists. How do we do this?
- If we don't concentrate specialists in academic centers where research happens- where do we put them—
