Making Sense of an Increasingly Obvious Conclusion

Where's U.S. health care heading? Like it or not, the list of telltale signs is growing to a point that stands out to even the most myopic observer. Consider this list of facts as you look into the future of health care in the United States:

U.S. Spends More on Health Care: "Data from the OECD [Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development] show that the U.S. spent 17.1 percent of its gross domestic product (GDP) on health care in 2013. This was almost 50 percent more than the next-highest spender (France, 11.6% of GDP) and almost double what was spent in the U.K. (8.8%). U.S. spending per person was equiv-alent to $9,086 (not adjusted for inflation)."¹

Plagued by Unregulated Health Care Costs: "In New York City, a cholesterol test can cost as little as $14 or as much as $1,070 depending on where one goes, according to a new study of health care costs in America's 30 most populous metro areas by Castlight Health. The price of a mammogram in Dallas ranges from $50 to a whopping $1,045. And in Chicago, the charge for seeing a primary care doctor for a routine exam can be only $50 or up to $423."²

Last Developed Nation Without Universal Health Care? "The U.S. stands almost entirely alone among developed nations that lack universal health care." Almost every European country, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, Russia, half of South America and many others provide universal health care. Many are asking why the U.S. has not already done so.³

I have never been in favor of our federal government managing our health care. But at this point, it probably doesn't matter what I think. This is the direction the U.S. health care system appears to be going, with "Obamacare" a major step in that direction.

As a company, we saw a 16 percent increase in health care costs in 2015 and are now looking at another 15 percent increase for 2016. While it might once have been considered the best health care system in the world, "now it's a monster and will not obey."⁴

Would U. S. doctors of chiropractic fare better under universal health care? The answer, as usual, will only be found in the details, which may or may not be something we can impact. Given that obvious uncertainty, you will want to consider your options as we continue to see our health care system move in that direction.

On the one side, you will probably want to participate in the many recent "compliance" initiatives including ICD-10, EHR software, etc. This will make it easier to participate in the ever-changing health care reimbursement process.

On the other side, you might want to focus on generating more cash income in your practice. This can be accomplished with more cash patients or offering products and services that lend themselves to cash payment. Cash income can help you offset changes and delays in reimbursement from third-party payers.

A third strategy you will want to consider is networking with other health care providers. Networking can overcome biases and other challenges to operating a successful practice.

There are certainly more ways to reinforce your practice. What is most important is that you think about how your world is changing and how you can best adapt. Change is a constant we can't avoid. It creates uncertainty, disorder – and opportunity. How well you prepare will determine how well you adapt to that change.

References

1. "U.S. Health Care From a Global Perspective: Spending, Use of Services, Prices, and Health in 13 Countries."The Commonwealth Fund, October 2015.
2. "Where a Cholesterol Test Can Cost You $14 or $1,070." CNNMoney (New York), Oct. 7, 2015.
3. Fisher M. "Here's a Map of the Countries That Provide Universal Health Care (America's Still Not on It)." The Atlantic, June 28, 2012.
4. "Monster" (John Kay, Jerry Edmonton), performed by Steppenwolf, released in 1969.

Read more findings on my blog: http://blog.toyourhealth.com/wrblog/. You can also visit me on Facebook.