Line One: Health Care Reform

Sun, January 10, 2010
Posted in Line One

This week on Line One: Your Health Connection, Washington D.C. economist, Dr. Gail Wilensky (pictured right) joins host Dr. Woodard to discuss what health care reform will mean for our health care system and the economy. Learn more about the legislation currently developing in Congress and the topics that are not being addressed.

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HOST:

Dr. Thad Woodard, Anchorage pediatrician

GUEST:

Dr. Gail Wilensky, economist and health care adviser, Washington, D.C.

LIVE BROADCAST: Monday, January 11, 2010 at 2:00 p.m.

REPEAT BROADCAST: Monday, January 11, 2010 at 8:00 p.m.

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Comments

2 Responses to “Line One: Health Care Reform”

Arthur_500 on January 12, 2010 at 7:27 am

While I appreciated your interview with Dr. Gail Wilensky and the insight she provided regarding the existing Healthcare Reform Proposals I must take isue with her comments regarding the cost of healthcare. Firearms are not a driver of healthcare costs.
Accidents related to firearms use are not even a blip on the radar screen. There are far fewer firearms accidents than you will find in golf. Even if you were to add in the illegal use of firearms you would find the figures to be lower than that found in ice hockey. High School football contribures more to the cost of healthcare than all firearms incidents combined.
I thank you from bringing her on to explain and discuss the pros and cons of the existing plans under discussion and only wish Senator Begich would have been interested enough in the topic to have listened. however, you should explain to your listeners that her political stance against firearms influenced her inaccurate statement that the ownership of firearms is a major driver in the cost of helathcare.
Val Stella on January 13, 2010 at 10:54 am

I thought you might be interested in a recent experience I had of the UK National Health Service with regard to my father:

My father had one of his many falls on Dec 23, only this time he fractured his right hip. He had hip replacement surgery on Dec 24, and has been in the hospital ever since, until January 12 when he finally returned home.

It’s not often that one hears good things about the UK’s National Health Service (NHS) and I never thought I’d be the one to sing the NHS’s praises, but I am. By the time I got there, he was being transferred to an orthopedic rehabilitation hospital. Almost immediately, they had him up and walking. The hospital’s website states “The primary goal of the care provided on Coral Ward is to promote independence by aiming for early rehabilitation of each patient to his/her maximum potential” and “The patients, their family, and the nurses all work together towards a quick recovery and the solution of any problems that may arise.” I can attest to the fact that this is exactly what happened.

In addition to excellent medical care, he was attended to by physical therapists, occupational therapists, and a social worker who coordinated all the care he would receive upon returning home. He was instructed in the appropriate techniques for walking and climbing stairs so that he could competently do both prior to his discharge. All kinds of measurements were taken at home to ensure his chairs and bed would all be at the right height to accommodate the new hip. Each staff member was not only competent but extremely kind yet not overbearing which is so important when one is old and frail.

Everyone was determined to get him well enough to return home as soon as possible, and there were meetings in his hospital room almost every day. The social worker coordinated the activities of the Intermediate Care Team (ICT) whose members would be providing at-home assistance with washing and dressing, nursing, physical therapy to ensure his continued physical progress, and occupational therapy to provide the additional aids/equipment that would be needed. Most importantly, my 88-year-old mother would receive the support she needs in order to be able to continue as caregiver-in-chief. And, incredibly, the cost for all this was covered by the NHS.

Because of the Christmas and New Year holidays and the extreme wintry weather conditions, his return home was delayed until January 12, but I am happy to report that he is now safely back home much to the relief of my sisters and me and Sooty the cat.