Back to the RadioSpace™ home page
NewsDirect story topics:
Consumer, Business & General Interest
Current Events & Public Affairs
Entertainment & Sports
Health & Medicine
A Policy Proposal Could Result in a Reduction of $145 Billion in America's Annual Health-Care Costs
Fully produced report in MP3 format:
48 kbps |
96 kbps
(74 seconds)
-- How Will You Use This Story? --
(OPEN):
RISING HEALTH-CARE COSTS ARE INCREASINGLY ON THE MINDS OF PATIENTS AND
EMPLOYERS. AND, THAT HAS TRIGGERED A NATIONAL DEBATE ABOUT
HEALTH-CARE REFORM. KAREN IGNAGNI ["IG-NON-EE"]--PRESIDENT
AND C-E-O OF AMERICA'S HEALTH INSURANCE PLANS--SAYS
THAT THE PLANS HAVE OUTLINED A WAY FORWARD--ONE THAT COULD REDUCE THE
NATION'S ANNUAL HEALTH-CARE COSTS BY 145-BILLION DOLLARS, BY
2015--ACCORDING TO AN ANALYSIS OF THE PROPOSAL AND ESTIMATES BY
PRICE-WATERHOUSE-COOPERS...
(IGNAGNI):
"THE NATION FACES COMPLEX HEALTH-CARE CHALLENGES.
AND, WE'VE OFFERED AN INTEGRATED STRATEGY THAT WILL ADDRESS QUALITY,
COSTS, AND ACCESS--TO ALLOW THE COUNTRY TO ENSURE THAT ALL AMERICANS
HAVE ACCESS TO AFFORDABLE HEALTH CARE."
(BRIDGE):
THE PROPOSAL EMPHASIZES THE NEED FOR INVESTING IN PREVENTIVE CARE AND
HEALTH-INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY. IT ALSO CALLS FOR LAWMAKERS TO
REFORM THE MEDICAL-LIABILITY SYSTEM--AND TO PROVIDE PATIENTS AND THEIR
DOCTORS WITH THE INFORMATION AND TOOLS THAT THEY NEED TO COMPARE THE
EFFECTIVENESS AND COST OF TREATMENTS. FINALLY, THE PROPOSAL WOULD
CONTINUE MOVING TOWARD A SYSTEM THAT CLOSELY ALIGNS PAYMENTS WITH THE
QUALITY OF CARE THAT PATIENTS RECEIVE...
(IGNAGNI):
"THE GOAL IS TO KEEP PEOPLE HEALTHY. BUT, THE
NATION NEEDS A COORDINATED APPROACH--ACROSS THE PUBLIC AND PRIVATE
SECTORS--TO MAXIMIZE THE IMPACT OF THESE STRATEGIES."
(CLOSE):
FOR MORE INFORMATION ON HEALTH-INSURANCE PLANS' PROPOSAL TO MAKE HEALTH
CARE MORE AFFORDABLE, VISIT
"A-H-I-P-BELIEVES"-DOT-COM.
