Reform needs an MD and an MBA

While Congress struggles to merge bills over the next few weeks, it is clear that the fundamentals for what will ultimately improve the cost and quality of health care have been overlooked. Every part of our economy from consumer goods to food to airline tickets has been transformed by an empowered consumer/purchaser who has the necessary transparency to make choices, comparisons and decisions and ultimately drive down cost and improve quality....except health care

The message is loud and clear that we have to increase competition for the insurance companies. How about starting with empowering employers and their employes to be better positioned to drive insurers to compete? Isn't that where the dollar in our health care system begins? There is no mention of this key lament in any bill.

We can improve the cost and quality of health care. Many Fortune 500 companies I have worked with over the past 10 years have lowered their costs by 3 to 5 percent every year and improved the quality by using technology to drive better transparency and information to hold insurers and others more accountable.

Infrastructure (connecting all the systems where key financial and clinical information sits) combined with information (analysis of what works and doesn't work) combined with incentives is the formula that works. The fact that we are struggling so much with reform is because there are few people involved in the process who have experienced the health care system from start to finish to help align economics and delivery.

By Sreedhar Potarazu  |  October 26, 2009; 9:02 PM ET
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Posted by: rtk25301 | October 27, 2009 8:10 PM
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