Don't Wait for Congress!

While Congress is wrestling with health care reform, many hospitals and their marketing executives are wondering how to prepare for something that may -- or may not -- happen. Rather than remain paralyzed by congressional uncertainty, there are many ways the marketing team can position its health system to be ready for changing times ahead.

But wait! Why do anything now if we don’t know what form “reform” will take? Because regardless of the legislative outcome of national health reform, public payers reimburse about half of all health care today, and federal and state governments are operating at huge deficits. Cost cutting measures in the form of reimbursement reductions and policy changes are a necessity. In fact, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts just announced that it is changing the way it pays hospitals and physicians through a capitation system (BCBS is paying for the care of 60,000 enrollees within the Caritas hospital system regardless of whether they get sick).

The good news is that many hospitals and health systems are working toward many of the elements that must be in place to deliver the best health care at the best cost. Physician alignment, system integration, and outcomes measurement are important as reimbursement policy shifts from procedure-based to bundled payments. A physician alignment strategy means that both the hospital and the doctor are working together for the patient. System integration, which translates into operating efficiencies, means streamlined care delivered synergistically. And measureable health outcomes mean providers delivering care that works (not just “gets paid”). All of this translates into better value for the consumers’ health care dollar.

In other words, the right time is now to market system changes that restructure the delivery of care around value for patients, and by telling them what hospitals do to keep people healthy and how they treat those who are sick. No need to wait for Congress after all!