Re: [Marxism] Efficiency of Universal Access: Broadband and Health Car e

["acpollack2@xxxxxxxx" <acpollack2@xxxxxxxx>]

As always, a great linkage of issues by Yoshie that really makes the point!

Re the point that: "Large employers are indeed looking for a cheaper 
alternative to the status quo, but ... they believe that the same approach that 
has worked in other parts of their business -- providing financial incentives 
to improve quality and lower costs -- can be adapted to health care" -- a 
decade ago this took the form of HMO and managed care mania. Today it takes the 
form of "pay-for-performance" schemes. Recently UAW members in Missouri 
picketed to protest imposition of such a scheme by their insurers (against 
which docs had already protested). And at work I hear more and more about 
insurers (including Medicare) imposing such schemes.

Basically it takes some valid clinical measures which providers themselves want 
to follow and rewards (now, later will penalize) those providers and/or 
hospitals who follow them. So it reshuffles money in the system -- at the 
expense of those serving the poorest patients, of course.

If you ever hear someone using that phrase "pay for performance" feel free to 
gag and then ask the person using it if they know what it really means.

-- Yoshie Furuhashi <furuhashi.1@xxxxxxx> wrote:
"Efficiency of Universal Access: Broadband and Health Care":
<http://montages.blogspot.com/2005/04/efficiency-of-universal-access.html>.


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