With national heath care reform high on the list of priorities for Democrats this election year, several leading health experts suggested Monday that insurance should not be the No. 1 priority.
“What good is having everyone insured if you’re not getting the value you just said you wanted?” asked Dr. Denis Cortese, the president and CEO of the Mayo Clinic.
Cortese participated in a Health and Wellness roundtable discussion featuring 18 people from government and public health sectors, including Colorado Lt. Gov. Barbara O’Brien and Denver Health CEO Dr. Patty Gabow. The forum, led by former Sen. Thomas Daschle, took place at Boettcher Hall at the Denver Performing Arts Center, sponsored by the convention committee.
“Why are hospitals viewed at the center of the universe when no one wants to go to one,” Cortese said.
Presumptive Democratic nominee Barack Obama has endorsed a plan for health care reform that would partner private business with government to insure virtually every American with penalties for employers who don’t provide coverage and low-cost options for people to purchase their own insurance privately.
Gabow, however, pointed out that health coverage amounts to what she estimated to be 10 percent of person’s well being with social factors and behaviors like poverty and education contributing significantly to overall health.
Cortese stressed the importance of designing a national health system “this century” that would provide funding not just for health insurance, but incentives for preventative care, education and general well being.
The combination of better preventative care and taking care of one’s health could cut down significantly on the cost of health care in the United States, experts said.
Obesity, alone, which can lead to diabetes, heart failure and other disease, costs the healthcare system $90 billion a year.
