Informal Brain

Now that bailout 1.0 is behind us it is time to start thinking about the future:

Bailout 2.0: Healthcare

We need a healthcare solution in the US which is cost effective for end users, and is available to all citizens regardless of their preexisting conditions, or financial situation. Perhaps the government can bail out the healthcare system next?

Bailout 3.0: The Environment

The environment, needs a bailout plan. We need to infuse capital into technology which can reduce our reliance on fossil fuels. This will help the US become a global leader in clean technology and will create new research and manufacturing jobs.

Sounds to me like these might be some great ways to spend our tax dollars? 1.2 Trillion to bail out the financial services industries. How much could bailout 2.0 and 3.0 cost?

The US has more uninsured, or more correctly financially unprotected people then any other industrialized countries.

We rank number 39th globally based on length of lifespan and infant mortality.

We don’t feel like we have a “social responsibility” for our fellow citizens.

We spend more of our total GDP on healthcare. In most cases more then double then other international countries.

Excellent overview of how other countries provide universal healthcare at a cost far less then the US. I highly recommend watching this as a primer to participating in the forthcoming political discussion during the next presidential election.

[From FRONTLINE: sick around the world: five capitalist democracies & how they do it | PBS]

The iPhone needs an enterprise level encryption solution badly. Gone are the days when it was OK to have your mobile device data stored unencrypted. As mobile devices like the iPhone become more like personal computers we tend to store even more sensitive data on our devices. This leaves us open to serious data security breaches if the device is lost.

As we well know in industries like Healthcare it is a HIPAA violation not to mention a serious customer trust issue to loose a laptop which may house protected health data. Extending this view to the mobile device when it stores more and more email is natural. In fact, we already require encryption for our windows mobile devices.

So, at first I was excited by Apples announcement that they would support corporate email solutions on the iPhone. But, then I thought, where is the encryption story? Lack of encryption makes the iPhone a non starter in the Healthcare business.

Now, don’t get me wrong, there are lots of businesses where they may be willing to take the risk with corporate data on a mobile device, but once you think through the brand and customer risks you realize it is just not worth it. Join me in letting apple know your concerns, and set the expectation that a first class encryption solution can be baked into the platform.

Could File Vault be baked into the iPhone stack for example?

Today I noticed that Google Health is online. I am sure many of us in the health care industry are watching what Google will do in this space. Information mining and management is becoming one of the key differentiators in healthcare delivery. Folks who consume healthcare services (myself included) what to know more about their doctors, costs and medical records then ever before. Plus, there is the entire space dedicated to mining all that information and providing preventative care back to the healthcare consumer now rather then when they get sick. Google, looks like it is entering the information gathering business. But the real question is will it be able to synthesize “information” from all the “data”.

With Google Health, you can:
* Build online health profiles that belong to you
* Download medical records from doctors and pharmacies
* Get personalized health guidance and relevant news
* Find qualified doctors and connect to time-saving services
* Share selected information with family or caregivers

[From Google Reader (529)]

In Oregon, state officials last year began reporting detailed price comparisons among hospitals, a follow-up to reports on hospital-specific death rates. Ten of Oregon’s largest health insurers joined a nonprofit’s effort to rank how effectively doctors care for patients. And the Legislature ordered hospitals to divulge infection rates and other long-hidden measures.But with the release of such information, the question remains: Will it compel patients to act more like thrift-minded consumers whose clout will restrain price inflation and boost service quality?

Will more data create health care shoppers? - OregonLive.com

What I find most interesting about this disucssion is two things:

1) Are providers capible of functioning like businesses with variable costs and compeditive pricing.  This implies that they are actively marketing their services, cost comparing with their peers, and driving down internal costs to lower prices.  All of these things are quite counter to the training a doctor receives.  So either their will be a whole new business area for provier busienss development consulting or perhaps doctor programs will now include marking and sales training beyond the typical medical training 2) Even if a provider “advertises” lower prices, would you as a consumer choose them?  It is one thing to buy a car at the lowest price but it is quite another to take such a risk with your health.  I suspect typically medicine is based on relationship and referal from your “trusted” doctor.  Price is not actively considered.  Even if it became a factor how do you know if you are getting a good “health deal”, or taking a risk with your life?
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Reinvent Health Care

I applaud Regence (my employer) for taking a big risk and creating this unique web site.  Now, I challenge folks to sign into the site and be very candid about how you feel about the US health care system.

I am watching the forums closely.  There is the opportunity for some interesting discussion.

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What most people don’t realize is the most health care dollars are consumed by any individual during the last 7 days of their life.  At this time the insurer takes the largest net impact to their bottom line and the greatest risk because the doctors literally throw everything at the patient to save their life. 

From the Raw Story article:

“What is often misunderstood is that most health benefit plans, whether public or private, do not cover unproven and experimental treatment related to transplants or other treatments,” they wrote. “Coverage decisions under these plans are based on the best scientific and clinical evidence available, often utilizing external experts, without consideration of cost.”

The facts remain, that until you can remove cost as a component of any health care decision these types of events will continue to happen.  A model must be found where we can better balance the risk and the cost of health care across all of society, rather then a single insurance risk pool.

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