| Q. | Soon, elements of the new health care reform legislation will start to take effect. As you think about how this legislation will directly affect you, your family, or your business, which of the listed community-based resources are you expecting to be a key source of trusted information? Please answer with all that apply. |
A. State and federal government produced materials
B. My health insurance company
C. A local not-for-profit group like United Way
D. Experts from local academic institutions
E. Trusted local media sources
F. My health care professionals
G. I plan to pay a consultant to help me figure it out
H. Other
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Health Care Experts' Comments |
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“Based on the fact that the legislation is so comprehensive, I’d say all of the above. The challenge will be that unfortunately there will be conflicting info from all of the sources. I would lean most on C and G.” “To some degree we must trust all of these sources to understand the impact of the new health care legislation on our organizations and our families. That’s both good (for balanced perspective), and troubling (each is biased because of the role they play and how they’re managing the impact of the legislation on their organizations).” “I expect my health care professionals to be the key source of trusted information. It is logical to me that my interests and those of my healthcare providers are focused at the same goal: providing appropriate, proven treatments and/or medications. Fortunately, I have a good relationship with them and trust them. The recent superficial and self-interest performances by the other groups disqualify them as "trusted" sources. The information is so contradictory that decisions are guesswork, at best.” “My main source of information on how health reform will affect me, my family and others will be "Other", specifically, health care analyst organizations like The Lewin Group, Deloitte Health Care Solutions, Kaiser Family Foundation. These organizations have significant resources; excellent, highly skilled personnel, good researchers and analysts and generally have an objective, unbiased viewpoint.” |
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Executives' Comments |
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”A would be great if they were readable. So many government-produced docs are not. B is probably where we'll start. C, D and E are probably where we'll turn to cross-check the info that we get from A and B. G would be last resort and what I would call a failing of the system (does it really need to be that complicated?)” “Comprehensive understanding will be crucial. So, A, B, D, E, F and H: Other (i.e. what do my fellow employers and consumers take from all of this), will be all be helpful. It seems a lot like understanding one's brand. You need to discover all the perspectives to get a true picture.” “My health insurance company and my insurance broker. This is where I have the relationship. The problem is she thought the Health Care Reform process was horrible and that it is a “bad” bill. So I am not exactly sure where to turn for good advice.” “I happen to have very knowledgeable health care professionals who are in the loop on reform. But I will certainly do my own research for answers, via Google and the Internet. Sources like other states, AARP, and independent writers often hold lots of very good information.” “This would be an assortment of sources, including B, my health insurance company, E Trusted media sources—no necessarily local, F. my health care professionals, and H, primarily my health insurance advisor and agent. My sense is that the federal government in particular has little credibility remaining on health care issues.” |
Summary
According to our results, let's hope the government and our health insurance companies are ready for an onslaught of questions. And if no one is there to answer the phone, look out physicians! Provisions of the new federal legislation will help a host of segments of our population. Some begin this week, others will be going into effect at various points from now until 2014. Our community would be wise to tee up trusted experts on this topic to be repeatedly deployed so Minnesotans can benefit at a maximum level from the new sweeping law of the land. This would be a productive way for Minnesota leaders to speak out on health care.
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