| By :
Wiley Long
Will health care reform increase transparency for the public's benefit? It's increasing disclosure in Texas health insurance plans and among health care providers. With a large percentage of residents currently lacking Texas health insurance, the state may become one of the testing grounds as health care reform takes shape. One of the main questions many would like to see answered is whether the number of uninsured has driven up health care costs for everyone? Health Insurance For Texas Requires Financial Balance At least in theory, people with health insurance in Texas subsidize treatment for people who are uninsured or under insured. What happens when the costs of those without insurance outweigh what the insured are putting into this system? Escalating health care prices may be a direct result. Extending health insurance for Texas to cover more people obviously benefits those who will have greater access to health care, but the benefits are not limited to them. With more preventive care spread throughout the state, it would be reasonable to see a reduction in infectious disease, increased worker productivity with fewer sick days, etc. How this will affect the cost of health care remains to be seen. Health Care Reform Will Increase Necessary Transparency As the president of Baylor Regional Medical Center at Grapevine in Texas, Doug Lawson is speaking out about certain aspects of health care reform that can benefit all Texans. One of the major benefits he sees is how health care consumers will be empowered to make better decisions, including which health care provider is right for them. With the current health care system, trying to get information about physicians is next to impossible. So, how do you find the best fit out of a phone book's worth of doctor listings? Lawson acknowledges that patients lack the necessary information they often need to make an informed decision, but he sees health care reform as improving that. He says that, "As a result of the legislation, physicians and hospitals will be required to report patient outcomes. Patients will be able to compare doctor-to-doctor, hospital-to-hospital, and choose a doctor that is right for them." Let's hope that Lawson projection is right. Having the necessary information to make sound decisions just seems like commonsense, doesn't it? Since finding the "right" doctor and hospital could literally make the difference between life and death, the public should have a right to such transparency. Allowing people to make informed decisions, in fact, is the only way that a competitive market can work. If you knew that 75 percent of the staff at one hospital had been vaccinated against H1N1 and only 25 percent had flu shots at a second hospital, which would you have preferred to check into during the recent flu season? Until the public is allowed such information, competition among health care providers is virtually non-existent. After all, there's a huge difference between health care and most other industries. For example, if you take your car to a mechanic who charges you $400 and fails to fix the problem, sure you "got taken," but you have a second chance to find a legitimate mechanic. With severe health problems, there may not be a second chance to find more competent help.
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