On the pathway to health care reform

February 15, 2008

Dear Kansans,

There is a widely accepted diagnosis that our country's health care system is sick, some would even go so far as to say it is terminally ill. While there is general agreement on what ails the system – too many Americans without access to care, the escalating cost of providing care and a continual rise in the number of services Americans require – there is no consensus on what treatment option is best to heal the system.

This we know for certain: there is no miracle pill that will cure our system; rather, the delivery of health care in America will improve through a series of carefully researched and thoughtfully crafted approaches that will bring incremental change. The best solutions will be brought forth when public officials, insurance leaders, doctors, hospital administrators and consumers work together.

The Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association, comprised of independently licensed Blue plans such as Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas, has recently contributed to the dialogue by unveiling a comprehensive, five-point plan – "The Pathway to Covering America" – for building on the employer-based system to improve quality, rein in costs and expand coverage to all Americans.

The five points on which the Pathway is built are:

• Encourage research on what works. America needs an independent institute to support research comparing the relative effectiveness of new and existing medical procedures, drugs, devices and biologics. Our system also must provide incentives to deliver safe, high-quality care.

• Change incentives to promote better care. The incentives in our system must be changed to advance the best possible care, instead of paying for more services that may be ineffective, redundant or even harmful.

• Empower consumers and providers. We must give consumers and providers the information and tools they need to make informed decisions. This starts with information systems to manage personal health records. In addition, consumers need to know how much they are paying and what they are getting for it.

• Promote health & wellness. We must promote healthy lifestyles to prevent chronic illness and work aggressively to help patients with chronic illnesses manage their own health.

• Foster public-private coverage solutions. We need to tailor our coverage plans to capture the diversity of the uninsured population so that no one gets squeezed out by cost, misses out on available government assistance or opts-out because they do not think they need coverage.

As representatives of our national Association work with officials in Washington, D.C., to shape meaningful health care reform, these are the five points they will use as a guide. Likewise, as we work with Kansas legislators and the Kansas Health Policy Authority (KHPA) to shape changes to our system in Kansas, these points will be our guiding principles.

We applaud the efforts of KHPA and the energies that it has put into leading the discussion on how to expand health insurance coverage in Kansas. We pledge to continue working closely with KHPA to better understand all the details of its plan. We are pleased that KHPA is committed to addressing the problems of our health care system in Kansas which cause untold problems on our state's economy. We are particularly encouraged to know that KHPA's proposed plan includes initiatives to improve the health & wellness of Kansans through a statewide smoking ban, more physical education opportunities for our youth and healthier food choices at our schools.

For our part, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas pledges to be a good partner and a positive force in this year's health care debate, and to engage in a constructive and meaningful dialogue on these issues. In addition, we remain committed to offering Kansans access to quality, affordable health care; keeping our administrative costs as low as possible – currently eight cents of a premium dollar; maintaining the broadest possible network of providers in every area of our state; and encouraging Kansans to live healthier, more active lives.

Sincerely,

 

Andrew C. Corbin
President/CEO
Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas