Story originally printed in the La Crosse Tribune or online at www.lacrossetribune.com
Published - Tuesday, April 29, 2008
Mayo CEO: U.S. health system should reward outcomes
 Mayo Clinic CEO Dr. Denis Cortese |
The United States really doesn’t have a health care system, said Dr. Denis Cortese, president and CEO of Mayo Clinic.
A system has never been designed to provide health care based on value, as judged by best outcomes, safety and service, Cortese told community leaders Monday in La Crosse.
A car, for example, is designed to be repaired, he said, “but how can you fix a car that doesn’t exist?” Cortese said.
He said a new health care system should focus on value, integration, coordinated care and individualized medicine — and health care providers should be paid for those things.
Right now, Medicare pays more dollars to health care providers for the worst service, safety and outcomes, Cortese said. “We are rewarding delayed or incorrect diagnoses,” he said.
More than 160 area leaders in business, industry and government came together Monday for a La Crosse Leadership Luncheon on Heath Care Reform at the Radisson hotel.
La Crosse was the first stop for a national initiative, “Your Voice, Your Vision,” which asked community leaders and residents to comment on health care reform recommendations that came out of a Mayo symposium in March.
A multimedia trailer was parked at Valley View Mall on Sunday and the Radisson on Monday, where people could write, videotape or make an audio tape of what health care reforms they think needs to be done.
Mayo will take its trailer and forums to other cities throughout the U.S.
U.S. Rep. Ron Kind, D-La Crosse, said one of the problems is government reimbursement for health care is not based on outcomes or results. Mary Jo Werner, a La Crosse certified public accountant, said transparency and accountability is what businesses want from health care providers.
Rusty Cunningham, La Crosse Tribune publisher, said a health care system should promote and reward healthy lifestyle behaviors and needs to look for ways to bring health care professionals and patients together in a group setting to provide better care.
Government and insurers don’t pay for health, only illness, so the system is not focused on health, Cortese said. Physicians are paid only if they see patients in the clinic or hospital, not if they work with patients to do better self-care at home and avoid clinic and hospital visits, he said.
The Commonwealth Fund reports that six states outperform all European countries, and Wisconsin and Minnesota are No. 1 in some categories. About 15 other states are comparable to European systems.
“Elsewhere in the U.S., the problem is the culture in the physician communities, where people aren’t accustomed to working in teams,” Cortese said.
He said five diseases, typically chronic conditions, account for 60 percent of all Medicare costs. “Finding ways to manage these conditions more efficiently in a team environment could lead to significant savings,” Cortese said.
VOTING ON PRIORITIES
La Crosse community leaders voted on priorities for health care reform on a scale of 1 to 10:
nPayment reform: 8.6
nUniversal clinical interactive technology: 8.4
nDeveloping programs for managing chronic conditions: 8.7
nCare coordination: 8.6
nBenefits to improve health (defining minimum standard benefit packages to improve health in addition to treating disease): 8.6
OTHER VOTING
nThe likelihood health care could effectively be reformed on a national level in the next five years was rated at 3.8, with 10 being the most optimistic.
CHECK IT OUT
You can see the Webcast of Monday’s La Crosse Leadership Luncheon on Health Care Reform at www.mayoclinic.org/healthpolicycenter. Also go to “Your Voice, New Vision” at the Web site to give your ideas about health care reform.
Terry Rindfleisch can be reached at trindfleisch@lacrossetribune.com or (608) 791-8227.
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