shawn whatley md

Conference participants wore ‘I Love Medicare’ pins in Calgary.

Nietzsche might ask

Do you love medicare because patients benefit, or do you love medicare because you benefit?

Do you love ‘free care’ more than patient care?

People can care more about the idea of universal health care than they do about the care patients receive.

They deny data showing

long waits

poor patient outcomes

lack of access

lack of coordination

high cost

inefficiency

lack of control

provider frustration

Their solutions focus on

more control

more funding

more rationing

more cuts to salaries > 100k

more patient education to divert access

They would rather fight for a failed system than fight for improved patient care.

dog-ma-tism

n. An arrogant, stubborn assertion of opinion or belief

dog-ma-tism n.

1. positiveness in assertion of opinion especially when unwarranted or arrogant

2. a viewpoint or system of ideas based on insufficiently examined premises

Medicare dogmatism will guarantee mediocrity at best.

We need a system that:

puts patients’ needs first

makes patient experience central to funding

gives patients great access

offers patient choice

guarantees quality care (Quality should be a given)

demonstrates business excellence

attracts the best leaders

rewards great outcomes; not mediocrity

aligns incentives for every provider

rewards grass-roots provider innovation

gives control to health-care experts

This can happen in a publicly funded system, but it will never happen if people resist change.

We need to stop thinking that health-care is so special, complicated and unchangeable.

Do we love medicare more than patient care? Can we have an adult conversation about change?  What do you think?