The case for hospital rate setting commissions


Photo Credit: OHSU

City Club State of Reform panelists make the case for setting hospital rates to control costs and improve quality.

Share this article!


The fate of health care reform is one of many uncertainties emerging in the wake of a Donald Trump presidency. A forum at the Portland City Club forum this morning filled the Multnomah Athletic Club ballroom. The speakers, former Gov. John Kitzhaber and Maryland governor Martin O’Malley, were part of the draw.

O’Malley, perhaps best known for his brief run at the Presidency last year, made the case for implementing hospital rate setting commissions nationwide. Maryland implemented this healthcare model in 2014. The commission sets hospital revenues annually and determines how much hospitals will charge per patient based on that number. The goal is to shift hospitals’ focus from filling beds to patient wellness.

Kitzhaber, who resigned in 2015, has been rehabilitating himself in the past year by speaking about health care reform, an issue he championed as governor.

Check out these tweets from the discussion.


 

The forum ended with advice for the healthcare community as the President-elect takes office.