The current system used in the U.S. to determine payment for health care providers – a complex negotiation between public and private health insurers and the doctors and nurses themselves – is archaic and should be changed, according to a majority of opinion leaders surveyed recently by the Commonwealth Fund.
“Experts agree that if private payers and public programs could come together and agree to pay the same way, and the same amount, we can improve the efficiency of our health care system, eliminate administrative waste, and create better experiences for patients,” says Commonwealth Fund president Karen Davis, according to a statement.
In a nutshell, reduce the cost of health care services and health insurance overall.
In addition to payment systems, several other areas are considered ripe for change by the respondents, including improving the information available to the public about treatment outcomes and pricing, the Commonwealth Fund says.
By contrast, just 9 percent of respondents to the group’s survey said the U.S. medical system was fine the way it was, and even health care delivery professionals – who are most likely to be resistant to such change – were only 19 percent opposed to physician salaries.
