How Healthcare Reform Will Affect the Healthcare Staffing Industry

I learned a valuable lesson while getting my Political Science degree – don’t talk about politics with your family or at work. I do my best to keep politics separate from all things work related, however, the topic of healthcare reform is such an important and closely related issue I feel the need to weigh in. 

Let me first start by saying that, no matter who’s in the White House, I’m not a fan of the government or government run programs. However, I’m less of a fan of unchecked corporate control. I would love to believe in the theory that free market Capitalism will take care of everything. Unfortunately, I think our free markets surrendered to large corporations years ago and the result of this has produced our current economy and poor healthcare delivery system. Therefore, I think some government intervention is past due.

Personally, I’ve been without health insurance several times in my life and it’s a very scary feeling. Now, having children, the thought of being unemployed and being without insurance is overwhelming. 

The negative hype against healthcare reform is disturbing to say the least and only shows that most people don’t understand how healthcare is delivered in this country. I can only hope that these obvious scare tactics designed to keep the current healthcare system in place (one beholden to the insurance companies) don't take root in the minds of too many.

There are some very good reasons for hoping that our healthcare system is reformed.  Some of them even benefit the healthcare staffing industry such as:

Fewer patients will be turned away

Guaranteed coverage will mean that more people will receive the care they need. Doctors, hospitals, and other providers won’t have the dilemma of dealing with patients who need care but don’t have coverage. Organizations that spend endless amounts of time battling issues with private providers will benefit greatly.

 

More Jobs
The increase in the amount of insured people will subsequently increase the demand for care.  This will undoubtedly increase the need for and exacerbate the shortage of healthcare professionals. Most likely, this sudden increase in demand will create a difficult period of adjustment. However, we should trust that measures will be taken to meet the demand and that all the challenges we face in this area will be worth it in the end. The increased demand for healthcare will present a significant increase in opportunities for healthcare professionals, those looking to get into the field and those that assist healthcare professionals in finding jobs – both permanent and temporary.

Improved quality of care

A large focus of healthcare reform is on improving the quality of care provided. Time spent on preventative treatments and better management of chronic conditions will be reimbursed. Incentives will be given for getting things right the first time and not reimbursing poor care delivery at the same amount. In addition, consumers will now have at least (not be limited to) one payer that provides a choice of providers. Consumers will no longer have to deal with billing or claim hassles, making their overall healthcare experience a better one.

Promotion of Technology

The reform will also emphasize and promote the use of technology which will dramatically improve efficiencies and cut down on errors for healthcare delivery organizations. The greater adoption of technology will also mean better information for providers and consumers, and less paperwork. Business transactions within the industry will also become more streamlined. The reform will present vast opportunities to technology providers in the healthcare industry.

Aside from all of these positive benefits, here are my personal reasons for supporting healthcare reform:

• The U.S. is the only industrialized country without healthcare for its citizens. It's unclear to me why taking care of those in need is not a basic right of every country.
• 47 million Americans are without health insurance, 8.7 million are children.
• There is widespread support for healthcare reform from nurses and nursing associations across the country.
• It’s the right thing to do. Most people without coverage are unemployed and come from poor socioeconomic backgrounds. Greater equity in access to care will help eliminate the disparities in health outcomes.
  
• Finally, I think most of us live with the delusion that we are covered for anything we want and that we have access to the best care on the planet. The truth is you have no idea what you're actually covered for because it's ultimately up to your insurance company to determine if they will cover you or not. Further, just because the care is there doesn't mean you can afford it. Even if you are covered, most likely your insurance will only pay a portion of the full amount. Do you know if you can afford the balance? Personally, I don't want myself or anyone I know to be on the wrong end of an insurance claim denial or unable to afford the treatment I need. Do you? 

Of course this issue is the newest political football where one side feels it’s a moral obligation of humanity and the other worries it’s part of the socialist takeover of our country. As a political scientist, let me assure you – our country is far from being socialist. Calmly allowing hundreds of billions of dollars to be spent on wars while almost starting riots at the notion of providing healthcare to our citizens actually suggest the opposite is true. If you're really so upset about government spending focus your complaints where they are most needed.

Do the right thing – support the reform of this country’s healthcare system.

Comments

[Healthcare]

Dear Mr. Poly-Sci,

Reform is going to close down my business and 10's of thousands of others Staffing Agencies across the nation. This is the dirtiest, sneakiest, and corrupt thing I have seen the government undertake to date. Add an anti abortion clause at the last minute and get the moron democrats to vote FOR.

This will create job loss right across the board. Change 85% of hardworking Americans coverage to cover 15% of people that are mostly welfare cases, illegal immigrants, and just plain lazy that bleed the system dry.

You want reform? Make illegals pay taxes and pay for their care and so that they do not cost shift the burden onto AMERICANS! I don't go running to the emergency room for every little issue, give my Access card to pay for groceries, or have 15 kids that I can't support. Why, you may ask? Because, I can't afford it, since all my cost is getting shifted to pay for Illegal Joe's Healthcare, Food, Kids.

1 trillion dollars that we will probably borrow from China (very smart Obama). Can't buy your way out of everything, especially in the polls at re:election!

This country is getting bad, really bad!

The sad part is, is I am for healthcare reform, just not this clown's.

[Jason Lander]

Hi Randy,

I'm not 100% happy with the bill that was just passed. However, I didn't have any expectations that I would be 100% happy with it. At least it is a start and hopefully we'll continue to see it improve.

Thanks for your comments. I'm sure that you know none of your statistics are correct and are merely hyperbole to promote your points. However, I'll make you a deal Randy. If you go out of business because of healthcare reform or we see "10's of thousands" of other companies go out (although there aren't that many), I'll completely retract my position on this matter and write about such. However, if none of these predictions you're making come true then perhaps you would come back and apologize for taking up space on this page with your nonsense.

[Danny Goldberg MD]

As a physician myself, I am not completely happy with the bill either, as i converse with many of my primary care physician friends and associates on a daily basis, lots are jumping ship due to the bill for economic reasons. In addition, I am getting lot's of inquires on Medical Tourism from underinsured or uninsured US patients seeking affordable medical procedures abroad

Danny Goldberg MD,PhD

www.MedicalHR.net

[Jason Lander]

Hi Danny,

Thanks for your comments here. I'm always interested to hear how healthcare professionals feel about the bill. I have a couple of friends that are also physicians and it's always great to get their perspective. Although they don't think the healthcare reform legislation is perfect they are supporting it.

I'll see if I can get them to come on here and comment or maybe even guest blog.