While preparing to engage in an extended discussion about access to health care, we would like to lay out our concerns and goals. And we would like to hear from readers your worries about the availability of health care and how you would solve the problems you see.
Improvements in the delivery of health care will only occur with the involvement of all those concerned. It’s vital that policy reforms address the concerns of doctors, hospital administrators, nurses and others who work to provide health services to the public. But, ultimately, health care can only meet the needs of the public if people voice their frustrations, questions and hopes.
We want to hear your ideas for solutions, either large or small, to the problems you observe.
Anyone studying health care access in the United States will immediately hear worries about the millions of uninsured people, the difficulty of filling nursing positions in hospitals, the coming retirements of many doctors, and shortcomings in the Medicare and Medicaid programs. In Washington state, the challenges are compounded by our own problems. Those include disproportionately low Medicare reimbursement rates, the prospect of a "white-collar flight" of doctors to other parts of the country, an unstable health insurance market and heavy burdens on hospitals at a time when their finances are shaky.
In the coming months, editorials will address many aspects of those issues. As we talk about the problems, we will look at possible solutions.
After the experiences of the 1990s, many public officials have shied away from promoting greater access to health care. At the national level, the Clinton administration’s botched effort serve as a caution flag. And much of Washington state’s own Democratic-led reform plan had to be dismantled after driving many insurers out of the state. The failures shouldn’t induce a fear to act but a realization of the need to avoid one-size-fits-all fantasies.
Solutions will come at a variety of levels. Some improvements require government action; others demand more individual awareness of costs and benefits. However large the problems, they are not beyond the capacity of people to address.
If you would like to help shape our discussions by expressing concerns and ideas about solutions, we have set up a special e-mail account: healthcare@heraldnet.com. Please focus on the big picture — honestly, we can’t look into or address individual problems. You can also write to us at: The Herald, Editorial Board, Attn: Healthcare, PO Box 930, Everett, WA 98206. As we explore the issues further, we will offer more opportunities for public engagement.
As the general population lives longer and ages, all of the questions regarding health care will become more critical. It’s essential that we begin addressing the issues now, so solutions can improve care for those with little access now and prevent broader crises later.
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