PREVENTION with electronic medical records are key for savings !

by milan milenkovic

1. Solution: PREVENTION with electronic medical records are key for savings !
Mayo Clinic, one of the best in the World, already did first step - " Research from National Academy of engineering shows that estimated 30 - 40 % of health care spending is associated with failures - i.e. duplication, poor communication".
http://www.mayoclinic.org/healthpolicycenter/payreform.html
.....................................................................
2. NO Medical fraud
Healthcare insurance fraud accounts for an estimated $100 billion in annual costs to American insurers, consumers and taxpayers every year.
http://www.allmedmd.com/services/medical-fraud-review
..........................................................................
3. Reduce Health Bureaucracy- solution: educate administration’s to become nurses!
( Like: Change Your Job Through Educationn
http://careerplanning.suite101.com/article.cfm/change_your_job_through_e...)
Fact: " In 2003 the U.S. spent $399.4 billion ($1,389 per capita) on health bureaucracy, out of total expenditures of $1660.5 billion ($5,775 per capita).
( http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/8800.php)
Fact: "According to a US gov. study, by the year 2020, there could be a nationwide shortage of up to one million nurses.
( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nursing_shortage)
.................................................................................
4. Emergency room- patients need to go to primary care physicians first, not in emergency room for not emergency cases.
Fact: " Treatment in the emergency room costs two to three times more than the same care delivered in a doctor’s office or outpatient facility").
( http://www.schsa.org/PublicHealth/pages/healthResources/healthwire/2001/...)
......................................................................
5. Living wills :
(" death in health care facilities – where 80% of all deaths occur – is unnecessarily prolonged,painful, expensive, and emotionally burdensome to both patients and their families.
A national study found that: "In 20% of cases, a family member had to quit work;" 31% lost "all or most savings" (even though 96% had insurance); and "20% reported loss of [their] major source of income.
Yet, studies indicate that 70-95% of people would rather refuse aggressive medical treatment than have their lives medically prolonged in incompetent or other poor prognosis states".
( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Living_wills)
6. Lower cost for Doctor malpractice insurance ?
Over the past three years, some malpractice insurance has gone up 150 percent. Maybe the best solution would be to cap the highest possible award for non-economic claims in a verdict to $250,000?
http://www.dailytargum.com/2.8607/doctors-protest-high-malpractice-costs...
California has had a $250,000 cap on noneconomic damages since 1975 when the
Medical Injury Compensation Reform Act (MICRA) took effect. The Act has helped
stabilize the medical malpractice environment in the state, making the coverage more
affordable than in many other states.
http://server.iii.org/yy_obj_data/binary/729103_1_0/Medmal.pdf
The total cost of defending and settling malpractice lawsuits in the U.S. in 2001 was approximately $6.5 billion, or 0.46% of total health spending. Critics say that defensive medicine consumes up to 9% of American healthcare expenses.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canadian_and_American_health_care_systems_c...
Now we need Congress support, as a next step, to do what is the best for American people and this country.
I called: Sen Jim Webb’s office, Sen Mark Warnen’s office, and Congressman Jim Moran’s office.