Reform of the nation’s healthcare system was the centerpiece of President Barack Obama’s campaign platform. Since taking office the President has shown in his words and action that passage of meaningful health reform legislation is his main domestic policy priority and that he expects the Congress to pass such a bill no later than the fall of this year. President Obama’s goals of providing health insurance coverage for the more than 45 million residents currently without coverage and reducing the cost of coverage for the nearly 300 million insured are ambitious but appropriately focused goals. Given significant Democratic majorities in both the US Senate and House, the President knows well that the dynamics have not been more favorable for passage of significant reform in the 16 years since the first year of the Clinton Administration.
Two Senate and three House committees have spent many months trying to develop a bill capable of accomplishing the twin goals of covering more people and reducing costs. The lawmakers are finding that this is incredibly complicated work and is capable of eliciting considerable emotion among not only their colleagues, but especially among the millions of constituents potentially impacted by components of congressional reform proposals currently being debated. Deadlines the President and Democratic Congressional Leadership initially set for passage of these bills have been repeatedly pushed back, further evidencing the complexity of the subject matter. I believe this additional time is welcome, as it is allowing more time for debate of issues, solicitation of input from stakeholders and constituents, and for light to shine on the 1000-plus page legislative proposals available to date.
As the chief executive officer of the largest non-profit healthcare system in Houston, serving our community through 11 hospitals as well as a vast network of affiliated physicians, specialty programs and services, I see much of what is right about our healthcare system. I also see where there are significant opportunities for improvement. Success in operating a hospital system, as with any business, demands never being satisfied with the status quo. At Memorial Hermann, we are constantly challenging one another to do all we can do to provide the best care possible, save more lives, and to improve clinical outcomes. This means tirelessly looking for better ways to diagnose and treat patients, and to maximize the potential of the latest available technologies. We serve a community which represents a microcosm of the critical issues Congress ought to address, for example:
• One in three residents of the Houston region currently has no health insurance. Any contemplated cuts in Medicaid and Medicare, without being indexed to meaningful increases in additional coverage of the most vulnerable patient populations would be disastrous to physicians and hospitals.
• Many undocumented residents live and work here, have no insurance coverage, yet become sick or are injured and come to us for care, often through our already crowded emergency rooms.
• Investment in education and research has spawned incredible technological advancements, clinical breakthroughs and innovation. Reductions in graduate medical education (GME) funds would jeopardize these programs and drastically reduce our healthcare workforce.
I am on record as saying our health system is broken and it needs transformational change. This needed change must lower healthcare costs, improve access, and improve the health of the American people. We must get it right! I encourage the Obama Administration and Democratic leadership in Congress to obtain significant input from all members of Congress, and especially from health care providers that best understand the impacts of the recommended solutions. The health reform solutions must not add to the already high federal deficit. Although these are lofty goals, they can be achieved through a thoughtful, inclusive process that requires all parties to sacrifice a little for the overall good of a reformed health system.
In addition to Congressman John Culberson, who represents our Memorial Hermann Hospital, Children’s Memorial Hermann Hospital, and TIRR (The Institute for Rehabilitation and Research) facilities in the Texas Medical Center, the Memorial Hermann Healthcare System is proud to be represented by many members of our Texas congressional delegation, Democrats and Republicans alike, and appreciate the unwavering support the delegation has provided over many decades. As debate of federal healthcare reform proposals continues, we will continue to work with delegation members of both parties to educate them about the potential impacts to our system, and we applaud their outreach to our system, and their commitment to telling our story to colleagues and members of the congressional leadership from other states.
To readers of this issue of Congressman Culberson’s website, I encourage you to take advantage of the August congressional recess to become better educated about federal healthcare reform proposals, engage the congressman and his colleagues, and attend one of the many healthcare town hall meetings and other forums which will continue to take place throughout the region, until the Congress returns to work in our Nation’s Capitol after Labor Day.
I say No to Obama Health care!!!!!!! The Federal Government has not run any program successfully. Medicare, Medicade, US Postal Service, etc. Please don’t take any more of our hard earned money and give it wastefully to those who don’t try, don’t pay their way and are here illegally. Stop the insanity.
I’d like to see what I wrote yesterday especially so I can see if you put it up for others.
The previous comments raise these questions:
What is healthcare? Is it the relationship we have with doctors, nurses and the like or does it extend to the people who produce and cook food, provide water, keep our cities and country, and the air we breathe clean, encourage and teach about health and various forms of exercise?
What makes healthcare in the United States number one in the world? Is this true? What leads to this conclusion? Is it that we live longer, get sick less, eat healthfully and are physically fit? Is this true? If it isn’t what can be done to make it true and do “we” have the will to do it? Who is “we?”
After listending to the debate I am an advocate of the public option. As a medicare recipient, I am pleased with the program. My adult son and his 2 children,all very healthy, pay more per month for health insurance than the cost of their monthly mortgage of $1100.00. His wife has insurance through her employer so she is not under his policy.
I read Mr. Wolterman’s comments with interest. Now, I’d like to add my thoughts to the discussion. My wife and I are both patients of three specialists who practice at the Hermann medical center. Both of us have been treated in the hospital, and have had several visits to the emergency room. The Hermann facility on Hwy 10 is EXCELLENT – it is not BROKEN.
I will say that the occassions when we have sought treatment at the emergency room that the room was crowded with people. I am no doctor, but some of those in the room seemed to be there for bad colds, and what appeared to be minor ailments. I do not advocate that sick people, regardless of financial means, be denied health care. BUT, it’s time to correct this situation. Why not register the uninsured who cannot afford insurance? Register them by clearing them as NEED Patients – then they recieve free care (1986 law re emergency room care is a basis to use).
Now, fix the system – do not tear it apart and rebuild everything, including the part that is EXCELLENT. My views have to do with COSTS:
1) At 86 years of age I am very familar with the failures of the Federal government’s to lower costs or increase efficiency on anything they have ever touched – keep them out of it as much as possible.
2) TORT reform is a must on a Federal level – this will lower the cost of malpractice insurance.
3) Sell health insurance across state lines – this is simple!
4) Stop the subterfuge of taxing the insurance companies, Cadillac health plans, fines for not taking health care, and other juvenile games by trying to convenience intelligent people that their taxes will not be raised.
The American health care system is BY FAR the world’s best system. Fix only what needs fixing! Howard R. Lowe 713-983-9825
I agree with Mr. Wolterman’s and Mr Miller’s comments. There are ways to improve the system, but I don’t think that it will happen with this Administration, House and Senate. Obviously, Rep. Culberson has made a great effort, but in general, the overall educational outreach to the Memorial-Hemann or other health-care systems by the Administration, House and Senate is as mythical as unicorns, bipartisanship, Internet Bill-Posting and representative government.
Bob Casey ACNP
I do agree with Mr. Wolterman in all that he has said.
Case in point. I am currently on the Panama plan. It goes like this. I do not have health insurance and as a small businessman who has had a mild heart attack I am not likely to ever get health care coverage. I am also not likely as an engineer to get hired on full time as i will simply bend their health care cost curve up.
The net result is that I have decided that my only choice is to come up with a plan that I can afford. So what do I plan?
1. Reduce costs by engaging in health lifestyle. I have lost 35 lbs and lowered my blood sugar levels sufficient to avoid going on diabetes medications.
2. Exercize daily. I rented an apartment with a lap pool so I could swim often.
3. Start learning more about health foods. I had a heart class after my heart attack which totally turned upside down my thinking about nutrition, I could learn more.
4. Keep current with all checkups, and lab work. Continue to see my cardiologist.
5. Take a trip to Panama and other countries to check out health care in those countries and understand how difficult it may be to go to each particular country.
6. If I become sick with some chronic problems I will then take stock of my money, cash flow and health situation. If I cannot afford care here and I can afford care in the other country I will go there to get my care.
This is my plan to stay alive in the event I am faced with a large bill. It is simply to export myself and re-import myself after my care is complete.
I plan to maintain this plan until I am eligible for the government plan (medicare).
I am bilingual so that is an advantage for me that many do not have.
I also agree that the situation is very very complex. To take costs out elements of my plan have to be put into place in all our medical system.
1. reduce pay for doctors likely by reducing costs for medical training.
2. Eliminate the middle man as much as feasible whether that be insurance or the government.
3. Encourage health living.
4. Recognition that an ounce of prevention is better than a pound of cure. Should annual checkups be free for all people?
I thank Mr. Wolterman for rejecting ‘just say no’ spew out lies and disinformation approaches that are out there. I also thank him for asking people to study the situation to develop opinions. I was chatting with a Brit the other day and he said Politics is too important to leave solely to the politicians. I firmly believe there was some wisdom in those words.
I do not agree with Mr. Wolterman’s comments. The healthcare system is not broken! As a person that has utilized his hospital, I have received excellent healthcare. It is the best in the world.
The only problem is that the cost is very high. I have always assumed the reason the cost was high for me as a payer was that I was having to make up the difference for those that did not pay. I would have hoped that Mr Wolterman would expound on the amount of free services rendered by the hospital as relates to the total revenue collected. This would give a benchmark for what we should be paying. The healthcare bills in congress do not address this free service issue.
UMTALA should be repealed. If a person wants free healthcare, before getting sick, he should have to register, be investigated as being unable to pay, and then given a Free Healthcare Card. No free walk-ins.
Glenn Miller
281 304 7871