DC CEO of Catholic Health Association on need for health care reform
The president of the nation’s largest nonprofit hospital system warned of fear-mongering sinking another effort to overhaul the nation’s health care system. Sister Carol Keehan DC said “pseudo health reform” — including health savings accounts and high-deductible insurance plans — were not the answer to helping the 47 million uninsured Americans, including 9 million children, get coverage.
Tags: Daughters of Charity, Health, health care reform, Keehan
I am happy to see Sister Carol Keehan’s criticism of health savings accounts and high-deductible insurance plans. According to one study, individuals with such plans are more likely to spend a larger share of their income on out-of-pocket health care expenses than those in comprehensive health plans, even with similar rates of health care use. The result, according to the Employee Benefits Research Institute is that lower income persons covered by such plans are likely to skip, avoid or delay receiving health care. These plans fit into the same consumerist/individual choice mentality that gave rise to the far more risky 401(k) plans (as compared to traditional pension plans), but they are not a sound way to provide health care coverage, particularly to lower income persons.1 Comment
I am happy to see Sister Carol Keehan’s criticism of health savings accounts and high-deductible insurance plans. According to one study, individuals with such plans are more likely to spend a larger share of their income on out-of-pocket health care expenses than those in comprehensive health plans, even with similar rates of health care use. The result, according to the Employee Benefits Research Institute is that lower income persons covered by such plans are likely to skip, avoid or delay receiving health care.
These plans fit into the same consumerist/individual choice mentality that gave rise to the far more risky 401(k) plans (as compared to traditional pension plans), but they are not a sound way to provide health care coverage, particularly to lower income persons.