Posts Tagged ‘Citizens Health Intiative’
Wednesday, March 10, 2010
Centralizing the “Centered” Models in New Hampshire
By Laura Davie, Project Director, NH Institute for Health Policy and Practice
In my role as project director in the Institute for Health Policy and Practice, I work on multiple projects. Although these projects have different components (including populations segments being focused on, issue being addressed, partners engaged at the table), it is impossible to ignore how these project are (or, at least, should be) connected across the health systems that they span. In my work of late, I notice the word “centered” is used a lot as an important descriptor of projects being implemented across health systems. These projects include the patient-centered medical home within the health care delivery system and person-centered planning in the long-term care system. I believe that, while these two “centered” models serve different functions within their respective systems, New Hampshire will be best served when these “centered” models overlap (and the sooner, the better.)
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Tuesday, December 8, 2009
Health Care Reform – Why Bother?
By Howard Stanten, Owner of The Met Coffee House and Mount Washington Valley Physical Therapist
As a small business owner in New Hampshire and a physical therapist by trade, I view the recent debate over health care reform from two different angles depending on where I’m sitting at the time.
From my small business seat, I want to provide health insurance for my family and my employees, but the value just isn’t there. Furthermore, trying to figure which types of policies cover which medical services for what co-pay and what deductible is, for me, about as easy as trying to figure out quantum mechanics. Throw a pre-existing condition that requires yearly diagnostic work and lab tests into the equation and forget it. The ability to fully understand or even come close to understanding what you are buying before you buy it never materializes. What I do understand is that policies that cost around $300 per month for a middle aged married couple don’t cover much until you reach around a $2,500 deductible. A healthy single younger person may pay about $150-200 per month for coverage with the same deductible. More on this later.
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Monday, October 5, 2009
An Outsider’s View of What is Wrong in American Health Care
By Paul Spiess, Co-Chair
Citizens Health Initiative
During the past three years, I have had a unique opportunity to evaluate New Hampshire’s health care system as an organizer and Co-Chairperson of the NH Citizens Health Initiative. My perspective in this initiative is somewhat unique, as I am neither a provider nor administrator of a health care organization, nor am I affiliated in any way with the payer side of the equation. I am a former businessman and legislator who chose to become engaged when I perceived a serious threat to our state’s economic health and vitality due to a rapid explosion of health care expenditures and resulting rise of insurance premiums.
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