Got to say South Park's recent take on the American healthcare system didn't miss. South Park simply nailed it; I just wish the joke they told with this segment wasn't a simple account of a sad dysfunctional reality. While the imagery makes the healthcare system seem intractable and impossible to change, there is still hope. The fact that Trey Parker and Matt Stone can make a widely relatable 3 minute and 49 second critique on health insurance and care navigation means "problems" can be identified. And if problems can be succinctly identified, solutions can be created.
Based on this segment here are some statements/topics policy makers and entrepreneurs should mull/debate over to think through potential solutions:
1. We need more than price transparency. Americans and policy makers need transparency on "corporate ownership" in healthcare (i.e., who owns who).
2. Anti-competitive contracting is jeopardizing patient care and is ruining the formation of a true healthcare market that could keep healthcare costs low (i.e., most-favorable nation clauses, all-or-nothing clauses, exclusive contracting clauses, physician non-compete agreements, anti-tiering & steering clauses etc).
3. Health insurance networks are obsolete. They are heavily regulated and not designed around covering providers that are willing to offer the goldilocks zone of high-quality care for an affordable rate. They are designed based on federal/state "adequacy mandates," and who has the bigger market share to dictate rates (i.e., is the insurance company or hospital system more powerful in a given area).
4. What's the point of traditional health coverage for patients if a majority cannot afford the market inflation on their premiums or cost-sharing?
5. What's holding back the affordable cash-market from scaling?
6. There are hundreds of healthcare start-ups trying to build a portable care-navigation tool. Why are insured and uninsured patients still struggling to find the best deal on shoppable healthcare services and medications?
7. Many American patients are putting off care due to high-costs. If Americans aren't seeking care and utilizing health insurance, then why are premiums still sky rocketing?
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