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I held the third Congressional Health Care Roundtable on Tuesday, April 7th, 2009 in Southfield. As in the previous roundtables, the participants told of challenges they have faced in the current health care system, and shared their ideas for reform.
Many people at this roundtable spoke about the need to ensure through health care reform that insurance coverage is comprehensive. Some participants spoke about having insurance plans that did not cover care they needed, such as prescription drugs or physical therapy. They made the point that just ensuring that everyone has health coverage is not enough if that insurance doesn’t provide necessary care, has caps on the amount of treatment it will cover, or requires deductibles or co-payments that are unaffordable.
Participants also discussed the importance of simplifying the current system. One gentleman who had worked in the healthcare industry said the complexity of the billing system requires too much time and money and wastes resources. Participants suggested implementing a standard billing system across all insurance providers. From the consumer’s point of view, people said they wished there were a centralized source of information about different health insurance options. In addition, the participants agreed that increasing the use of health information technology was important to improve care coordination and ensure that doctors had all the information they needed at the point of service.
People also spoke at this roundtable spoke about the importance of prevention in health care and the need to consider the benefits of alternative therapies and alternative medicine. A number of people at the roundtable said they use alternative medicine themselves and would like it to be considered as part of a health care reform package.
I continued to be impressed by the participants’ thoughtfulness and dedication to working for change in the current system, and look forward to meeting with more of you to discuss these issues.
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