drval's blog

I attended a press conference call today sponsored by the Partnership To Fight Chronic Disease (PFCD). Former Secretary of HHS, Tommy Thompson, and Ken Thorpe, Executive Director of PFCD. One of the journalists on the line with me helped to frame the size of the healthcare financial crisis this way: chronic disease is costing us more than 2 Wall Street bailouts per year.  Here are some highlights from the discussion. To listen to a recording of the call, please click here.

Ken Thorpe, Ph.D.:

Dr. Thorpe emphasized that the mismanagement of chronic disease and the failure to promote wellness and prevention is the number one driver of health costs.

“Failure to make healthcare more affordable is a recipe for long term disaster. The economic downturn has made healthcare an even more important priority. As wage growth slows down and as the deficits rise, we have to find ways in our public budgets to control the growth in Medicare and Medicaid and in the private sector to make health insurance more affordable for working families and for businesses. We must act now (and do something compelling, big, and structural) to make healthcare more affordable. Otherwise, despite all the talk about universal coverage, no one will be able to afford healthcare within 10 years.”

Sec. Tommy Thompson:

Today I attended an in-person interview with Bill O’Reilly (hosted by Marvin Kalb – Bill’s former journalism professor -- at the National Press Club). While O’Reilly is both a cultural icon and a polarizing figure, he is also a really entertaining speaker. I thought I’d capture some of the highlights from the discussion – you decide if he’s funny or offensive:

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For the first time in recent memory the Republicans and the Democrats are on the same page on a healthcare issue: the problem of chronic disease. Former Surgeon General Dr. Richard Carmona told me that chronic disease contributes more to healthcare costs than any other single issue,, and that many chronic diseases are preventable through diet and lifestyle measures. Both political parties seem to agree that America must become a “wellness” culture. However, they don’t exactly agree on how that may be achieved. The Democrats would expand the government’s role in stimulating healthy behaviors while the Republicans would use market forces and grass roots efforts to encourage personal accountability.

WHAT THE DEMOCRATS SAY ABOUT CHRONIC DISEASE:

An Emphasis on Prevention and Wellness.

Chronic diseases account for 70 percent of the nation’s overall health care spending. We need to promote healthy lifestyles and disease prevention and management especially with health promotion programs at work and physical education in schools. All Americans should be empowered to promote wellness and have access to preventive services to impede the development of costly chronic conditions, such as obesity, diabetes, heart disease, and hypertension. Chronic-care and behavioral health management should be assured for all Americans who require care coordination. This includes assistance for those recovering from traumatic, life-altering injuries and illnesses as well as those with mental health and substance use disorders. We should promote additional tobacco and substance abuse prevention. (“Renewing America’s Promise,” pg. 10).

WHAT THE REPUBLICANS SAY ABOUT CHRONIC DISEASE:

Prevent Disease and End the “Sick Care” System

I interviewed former Congresswoman, Nancy Johnson (R-Connecticut), about her views on health information technology (IT). Ms. Johnson has been a longtime supporter of health IT initiatives, and introduced the health IT legislation that led to the establishment of the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology. She has fought for broad adoption of health IT to reduce medical errors and improve care quality. I first met Ms. Johnson at the Partnership to Fight Chronic Disease conference in Washington, DC, and I was so intrigued with her perspectives that I arranged a follow-up interview at Baker Donelson's office where she is a member of the Firm's Federal Public Policy Group.