[StBernard] Change Louisiana: Healing Our Health Care System and Insurance Affordability for All

Westley Annis westley at da-parish.com
Fri Mar 9 23:03:51 EST 2007


March 7, 2007

Dear Fellow Louisianans:

Since the launch of ChangeLouisiana.com
<http://hcrowd.bm23.com/public/?q=message_link&fn=Key&id=bcjpzsjwokelouwhvnh
mbcvydwytbec&link=ajivixzesmhudacqvwhtmbhktxfxbfp> in September, we have
been recognized an effective voice for common sense on issues facing our
state including rebuilding aid for faith based schools, crime prevention,
insurance reform, levee board reform and the 8/29 commission, support for
our troops and most recently, crime. ChangeLouisiana.com
<http://hcrowd.bm23.com/public/?q=message_link&fn=Key&id=bcjpzsjwokelouwhvnh
mbcvydwytbec&link=bxogbsyqjtqxydkothezqltdnhfxbah> has highlighted the good
things individuals, businesses, non-profits and faith-based organizations
have been doing to move Louisiana forward while our elected officials have
been busy playing the game of politics as usual. Its time to focus our
energies on pushing the politicians for real progress in two other critical
areas: Insurance Availability and Affordability and Healing Our Healthcare
System.


Insurance Availability and Affordability Update


ChangeLouisiana.com's Citizens' call for action on the insurance crisis
<http://hcrowd.bm23.com/public/?q=message_link&fn=Key&id=bcjpzsjwokelouwhvnh
mbcvydwytbec&link=axnjsvpxkqmpiuntxvqydmirtmfubal> combined with the
Levees.org call for the 8/29 commission on the Army Corps of Engineers
errors that lead to the levee breaches and the ruling upholding the right
for people to sue the Corps of Engineers for damages resulting from
Hurricane Katrina has lead the insurance industry to re-examine their
approach to writing insurance policies in Louisiana. Louisiana business
leaders and Insurance Commissioner Jim Donelon have pressed insurance
companies to revisit their decisions on doing business in Louisiana and
compare the risk of here to the risk in Florida.

It is apparent that despite the catastrophic losses in 2005, Louisiana is a
more stable market overall than Florida: our losses were largely due to
human error, the state is hit by far fewer natural disasters annually
compared to Florida and the majority of homeowners policies in low-lying
areas of Louisiana are written for average homes owned by people who must
live in the region for their jobs, not for people who own expensive vacation
homes. We need to encourage to companies who do business in the Louisiana
market with incentives. In exchange for these incentives, companies will
be held to high standards with regards to writing policies, policy
cancellations and claims.

Some elected officials have approached the insurance situation with
political actions that attack the insurance companies while providing no
benefit to homeowners or businesses. This heavy handed tactic accomplishes
nothing. I am hopeful that the practical approach of encouraging companies
to revisit their risk assessment of doing business in Louisiana, educating
them on the critical role Louisiana plays in the nation as a whole and
luring to enter our market, we will be able to attract more affordable
insurance companies to our market.


Healing our Healthcare System


The looming health care crisis in Louisiana will cripple our state unless
our state and federal leadership cannot agree on a plan to ensure that all
Louisianans will have affordable access to health care. Unfortunately, some
politicians who are experts in healthcare are standing silent on this
sensitive issue, putting political goals ahead of the real work that must be
done. As a businessman, I know that we will never grow our economy and
attract new businesses without having a health care system that works. We
must push our leaders to move beyond provincial politics and create a
healthcare system that works.

Louisiana's health care redesign coincides with a national groundswell of
support from businesses and individuals alike to fix a health insurance
system where costs are spiraling out of control and there are increasing
numbers uninsured and underinsured people every day. The high cost of
health insurance is driving business and career decisions in a way never we
could have never imagined 20 years ago
<http://hcrowd.bm23.com/public/?q=message_link&fn=Key&id=bcjpzsjwokelouwhvnh
mbcvydwytbec&link=bbecjonpzhglobkysywrgmmktoxkbmf> . It is time to set the
territorial sacred cows aside and find real solutions for all of Louisiana.

Today as our politicians focus on spending a billion dollars on bricks and
mortar, they have lost sight of the real 271 year legacy of the Charity
Hospital system: in Louisiana, no one is left behind in receiving medical
care. While LSU Health Sciences Center-Shreveport has done a good job of
serving the insured and uninsured, they are the exception and not the rule.
<http://hcrowd.bm23.com/public/?q=message_link&fn=Key&id=bcjpzsjwokelouwhvnh
mbcvydwytbec&link=apfdjldoytlunldmnujderceumntbpd> In recent years, it has
become apparent that to remain efficient, we cannot continue the entrenched
two-tier system because it is antiquated and we lack the modern billing and
record keeping systems necessary to run a big organization. Every other
state has a single tier system where the health care dollars follow the
patient. With the ongoing population shifts in Louisiana, this approach
makes sense.

We need to move to a public-private collaboration where private providers,
non-profit hospitals and community based clinics serve all people and work
with the medical schools to continue to provide top-tier medical education
through in a well-connected a regional and statewide network.
<http://hcrowd.bm23.com/public/?q=message_link&fn=Key&id=bcjpzsjwokelouwhvnh
mbcvydwytbec&link=beaquulspxuhtnnurpqnfijqtqugbde> Without this, private
hospitals will continue to carry the burden of treating the uninsured
without guaranteed reimbursements and we will not be able to attract
physicians and other health care professionals to Louisiana. If new
state-supported facilities are built, they should be distinct in mission and
designed to serve both all populations, as the LSU-Shreveport facility does.
.

By moving our health care system to a state supported public-private
collaboration, we will be in a strong position to find a way to close the
health insurance gap with a business friendly, consumer driven approach that
keeps costs down while allowing for choices and competition. Market forces
have already lead traditional providers like Oschner and Our Lady of the
Lake to open a network of walk-in urgent care clinics. Wal-Mart, Target,
Walgreens and other pharmacies are opening inexpensive in-store clinics in
nationwide within the next few years
<http://hcrowd.bm23.com/public/?q=message_link&fn=Key&id=bcjpzsjwokelouwhvnh
mbcvydwytbec&link=afpyqewzfiyeqsjcuccebshuyexwbdb> . The growing network of
school and neighborhood-based health clinics are keeping children and
families who might not otherwise see a doctor immunized, treating basic
ailments, identifying medical conditions early and alienating the strain on
local emergency rooms while not infringing on parental rights.

As front-line health care moves to a cost-effective clinic based system, it
is essential for Louisiana to fast-track the development of state-
of-the-art computerized record keeping for patients so that there is a
long-term seamless account of care immediately available to anyone treating
an individual. T
<http://hcrowd.bm23.com/public/?q=message_link&fn=Key&id=bcjpzsjwokelouwhvnh
mbcvydwytbec&link=asldrdmajbtewkhigktsbgjiclbfbgk> his information will keep
health care costs down because medical histories play a key role in helping
physicians At a time when the Pentagon and the Veterans Administration do
not have a mechanism for transferring patient records as wounded soldiers
move from active duty care to VA care, if we can set the standard for
portable patient records, we will create new high-tech jobs while providing
an invaluable service to the people.

Once the basic infrastructure for Louisiana's redesigned health care system
in place, we can move forward with attracting the bio-technology sector to
invest in the state and have financial incentives to develop new drugs and
treatments. LSU and Tulane will continue to make great strides in cancer,
Alzheimers and heart disease research, especially with financial incentives
for bio-technology research. With LSU's Pennington Biomedical Research
Center already conducting groundbreaking research in nutrition and
preventative care, Louisiana should work to become the nation's leading
center for preventative care and mental health treatment.
<http://hcrowd.bm23.com/public/?q=message_link&fn=Key&id=bcjpzsjwokelouwhvnh
mbcvydwytbec&link=ahruejjvzaltcjucdxbmbwpqdgfebib> Understanding how to
effectively incorporate wellness education, disease management and mental
health into preventative care will lower health care costs across the board.
Treatment for mental health conditions is one of the fastest growing
research areas for the medical community and pharmaceutical industry today.
With the extreme stresses placed on Louisianans from the Hurricanes and on
our military community from the War on Terror, there is clearly no better
place in the country for mental health research - and no group of people who
would benefit more from it.
<http://hcrowd.bm23.com/public/?q=message_link&fn=Key&id=bcjpzsjwokelouwhvnh
mbcvydwytbec&link=aedshuatpsnztwopwreebrfitrhjbip>

What do you think about the current state of health care and insurance in
Louisiana? How is it impacting you, your family, your business and your
community? Click here to share your thoughts on health care and watch
ChangeLouisiana.com to see what your fellow citizens think.
<http://hcrowd.bm23.com/public/?q=message_link&fn=Key&id=bcjpzsjwokelouwhvnh
mbcvydwytbec&link=agqrgwkktlqjfltpadfkcodinnlabek>

As active citizens together, we can move Louisiana towards a sensible
solutions on Health Care and Insurance. Thank you and I look forward to
hearing your ideas.

John Georges

P.S. If you have anything interesting happening in your community that
should be featured on ChangeLouisiana
<http://hcrowd.bm23.com/public/?q=message_link&fn=Key&id=bcjpzsjwokelouwhvnh
mbcvydwytbec&link=bvmgzezqjafnijousajhxuhkcyucbho> , please write to me at
johngeorges at changelouisiana.com. Our interactive news and information site
is constantly changing and we want it to be your best source for news,
information and action.





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