Than me. Abridged by me with link at the bottom. He describes what we need to do, and why, with data. -------------------------
Recently President Obama's rhetoric has shifted from health care reform to health insurance reform. Getting more people access to a system that provides worse outcomes at higher costs is not an option for a sustainable health care system, nor a sustainable economy. Conspicuously absent ... is a way to pay for services that not only better prevent, reverse, and treat the major drivers of disease and cost, but actually creates better health. Current proposals have focused on mechanisms for financing and delivery of health care [which is] beside the point if the foundation on which we deliver care [does not deliver] quality or improved health. Who remembers that a decade ago the number one selling medicine in America was Premarin, a form of hormone replacement, now proven to cause breast and ovarian cancer, strokes and heart attacks? In fact, what does the science tell us today about our most common and expensive treatments for chronic disease like statin medications, cardiac bypass, angioplasty and treatment of diabetes? First let's ask, do cholesterol-lowering medications (statins) prevent heart attacks and death? According to the "best evidence" presented in the Adult Treatment Panel (ATP) ... the benefits of statins are proven. Yet a close look at the research [shows] statins were not shown to prevent heart attacks or death. Over 10 years simply applying the science would save over $200 billion from our health care bill. Drinking 48 ounce sodas, eating cheeseburgers and fries and living a sedentary lifestyle, then taking your statin, or blood sugar lowering medication, and undergoing an angioplasty or bypass if the medication fails to prevent heart disease or diabetes, is not only bad science, it flies in the face of common sense. We need to do something radically different. Pay for what works. Pay for health. Pay for quality, not volume. Then costs will come down, not just "bend". http://www.huffingtonpost.com/dr-mark-hyman/why-health-care-reform-wi_b_248937.html ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~| Want to reach the ColdFusion community with something they want? Let them know on the House of Fusion mailing lists Archive: http://www.houseoffusion.com/groups/cf-community/message.cfm/messageid:301844 Subscription: http://www.houseoffusion.com/groups/cf-community/subscribe.cfm Unsubscribe: http://www.houseoffusion.com/cf_lists/unsubscribe.cfm?user=89.70.5
