The Need for U.S. Healthcare Reforms

Business Communication White Paper Presentation

“The need for U.S. healthcare reforms”

Sample White Paper: Health Care Reform - Trends Driven by the     Evolution of U.S. Health Care Policy, October 2012

Author: Robert Kocher, M.D. Castlight Health

Presenting Team Members:

• Archana Bhui
• Benett Gigl
• Cecil Cherian

SUMMARY:

US health care suffers from high spending and over utilization without commensurate improvements in patient outcomes. The HITECH, HDI and ACA are regulations that are driving change in these areas by incentivizing adoption of electronic health records, giving patients a means to evaluate providers and reimagining payment models.

As these regulations take effect, doctors will be able to share data more easily, reducing medical error; patients would be able to compare doctors to make better choices and insurance companies could create more engaging programs for patients - all of which are essential in balancing an otherwise skewed distribution of spending in healthcare.

EVALUATION OF THE INCORPORATION & USAGE OF ELEMENTS OF THE PYRAMID PRINCIPLE:

Situation: 

The white paper clearly provides background information on the US’s healthcare results. The author, Robert Kocher, offers detailed statistics showing that despite spending the highest amount of money on health care, Americans do not have a better aggregate health than that of citizens from some developing countries. In addition, he also establishes the context of the discussion by pointing out that the labor productivity growth of the healthcare sector is negative even though labor growth is positive. This contradiction implies that a simple increase in spending do not necessary translate to better healthcare. Given the dismal health care results, the author undoubtedly supports health care reforms.

Complication: 

The author explains the complications that are preventing health care results from improving. The actual problem he identifies is the waste of resources from unnecessary admissions, tests and treatments, which stems from the fee-for-service payment model of the industry and information asymmetry that puts patients at a disadvantage. These wastes contribute to the exploding healthcare costs for both employers and the consumers. However, managing wastes should only be part of the health care reform. The author’s solution should also address and solve some of the following root causes: