City Club State of Reform panelists make the case for setting hospital rates to control costs and improve quality.
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.
“I love the model and I think it’s worth exploring. We should have a conversation about (rate setting) out here.” @GovKitz #healthforum pic.twitter.com/avRgzyEZ67
— Oregon Business (@OregonBusiness) January 6, 2017
“Hospitals are not hotels. So we should stop paying them like hotels.” @MartinOMalley #healthforum
— Oregon Business (@OregonBusiness) January 6, 2017
@OregonBusiness @MartinOMalley And hospital are definitely not 5-star hotels!
— Winston (@PeeWeeWinston) January 6, 2017
“The new motto for Maryland Regional Medical Center is, ‘We hope we never see you again.’ Try that at @RamadaWorldwide” @MartinOMalley
— Oregon Business (@OregonBusiness) January 6, 2017
“(In #Maryland) we want to reward (hospitals) for how many patients they could keep well. The early results are promising.” @MartinOMalley pic.twitter.com/YUnxQxJ4Ww
— Oregon Business (@OregonBusiness) January 6, 2017
@OregonBusiness @MartinOMalley how about how well can you keep them, not how many.
— trav (@T_bird80) January 6, 2017
“#Healthcare, last time I checked, doesn’t respect party registration.” @GovKitz @PDXCityClub #healthforum pic.twitter.com/V8eAjRXJG9
— Oregon Business (@OregonBusiness) January 6, 2017
The forum ended with advice for the healthcare community as the President-elect takes office.
“We don’t know what the future looks like but there is a tremendous amount of innovation & courage in this community.” @GovKitz #healthforum
— Oregon Business (@OregonBusiness) January 6, 2017
“Against the backdrop of fear & loathing we have to succeed,” @MartinOMalley‘s advice to Oregon’s healthcare community.
— Oregon Business (@OregonBusiness) January 6, 2017