In preparation for further federal health care policy reform anticipated next year several plans are floating around Washington, D.C., all promising, among other things, to "bend the cost curve" or improve health care affordability. In this 33 minute podcast Mr. Rother briefly defines National Coalition on Health Care's goals and how and why its health care affordability reform proposal, "Curbing Costs, Improving Care: The Path to an Affordable Health Care Future" was created. He moreover discusses options in the plan beginning with several "game changers" identified in the report, i.e., reforms that pay for value or outcomes instead of services or volume, reforming how Medicare pays doctors, options for limiting the tax exclusion employers receive in providing employee health benefits, and taxing sugar-sweetened beverages. He outlines reforming chronic disease care, improving medication adherence and lowering drug costs and reforming the private insurance markets via value based insurance designs. More thematically he discusses market competition, active purchasing and transparency. Finally, John describes what has been Congressional leadership's reception to the plan and chances next year for legislating any number of these affordability reforms.
John Rother is President and CEO of the NCHC, America's oldest and most diverse group working to achieve comprehensive health system change. Prior to NCHC, Mr. Rother was for over 25 years the Executive Vice President for Policy, Strategy, and International Affairs at the AARP (formerly the American Association for Retired Persons). From 1981 to 1984, Mr. Rother was Staff Director and Chief Counsel for the U.S. Senate Special Committee on Aging. From 1977 to 1981 he served as Special Counsel for Labor and Health to Senator Jacob Javits. Mr. Rother was graduated from Oberlin College and the University of Pennsylvania Law School.
Interview with John Rother on How to (Further) Achieve Affordable Health Care Delivery (Dec. 11, 2012)