Made possible because of ‘Obama Care’…
Why Patient Centered Care and a Different Funding Method May be Better for Many Americans
For those who ever tried something that said on the label ‘one size fits all’ there is some shared learning, because one size never fits all. This is true for socks, t-shirts and healthcare.
Yet in spite of this collective experience, we settle for doctors, hospitals and insurance companies who approach patients with templates designed to treat everything and everyone the same or at least very similarly. Instead of an emphasis on individual care, there is more weight placed on administrative efficiency.
Whether shoes or healthcare, one size will rarely be right for everyone.
Patient Centered
On his regular podcast respected Houston based neurologist and founder of the Houston Healthcare Initiative Dr. Steven Goldstein, describes how a patient centered model and cooperative payment method can work to the benefit of patients and healthcare professionals.
The Houston Healthcare Initiative podcast can be heard on : Apple Podcasts, LibSyn, Spotify, Radio.Com, Listen Notes, iHeart Radio, Podcast Addict, Podbay, Backtracks, Player FM, Stitcher, and SoundCloud.
Funded with Cooperatives
As Dr. Goldstein explained to his listeners, patient centered care as imagined and funded with health cooperatives, places an emphasis on preventive care and healthy lifestyles. When followed these will reduce the number of hospital stays and doctor visits. “I believe that a patient centered healthcare system is possible with a patient owned healthcare cooperative model that is free from the constraints of the CPT codes used for billing and by providing financial incentives to patients to be compliant and lead a healthy lifestyle,” Dr. Goldstein said. “Physicians rather than insurance companies and administrators should be responsible for care and would be compensated based on results and not hours or activities.”
Thank You Obamacare
The Healthcare Cooperative Model is possible because of the Affordable Care Act often known as ‘Obamacare.’ A ‘cooperative’ or ‘co-op’ is a healthcare system that is a non-profit company owned by the members. With as little as 50 members a healthcare cooperative can be formed either within a company or any other group such as a church, a union or any other group that is dissatisfied with the poor service, bureaucratic paperwork and high prices of the current system. Members are responsible for managing the co-op and deciding the type and scope of what they will support or not. Any profits made are paid back to the members. “I believe too that a member or patient owned enterprise is better suited to patient centered care.” Dr. Goldstein declared.
About the Houston Healthcare Initiative
The Houston Healthcare Initiative podcast with Dr. Steven Goldstein is an information vehicle for people who want to know all medical options for themselves and are interested in reforming the healthcare industry. To learn more about the Houston Healthcare Initiative please visit www.houstonhealthcareinitiative.org.