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Westchester (N.Y.) Herald letters: Access to Quality Healthcare
Westchester Herald letters to the editor
Access to Quality Healthcare
As healthcare begins to again take center stage in our political discourse, we must pay careful attention to how past decisions have
affected our communities and how the choices before us give us new
opportunities to allow every citizen access to quality healthcare for their family.
Unquestionably, the Hispanic community is disproportionately affected
by chronic conditions like cardiovascular disease, diabetes, asthma and cerebrovascular disease. According to the New York State Minority Health Surveillance Report, 2007, 186 out of every 100,000 Hispanics in New York will die of cardiovascular disease – a strikingly higher number than many other communities. Only African-Americans are at higher risk.
In our view, physicians should be free to prescribe necessary drug treatment regimens to combat these treatable conditions, free from insurance company pressure to use cheaper, less-effective drugs. With the best, most effective medicine therapies, these stunningly high numbers can be greatly reduced.
Sadly, many Hispanics and other minority communities at the greatest risk cannot access these crucial drugs because of restrictive health insurance company policies that put more costly medicines out of reach. The belief is that by pressuring physicians to prescribe cheaper, and in some instances, less-effective drugs, the patient/consumer can save money. This may seem sensible, until a bad condition turns worse and a patient may need costly surgery and extensive recovery and therapy. At this point, two questions can be asked: could a more effective drug have prevented this scenario? How have those relatively small savings compared to the massive costs now being incurred by a long hospital stay and expensive surgery?
In some instances in the state of New York, insurance companies have been found to offer payments to physicians that save them money by prescribing cheaper drugs! Another question should be asked: does this serve the best interests of the public, or does this simply allow for an insurance company to improve its own balance sheet?
It is time we act in the best interests of the patient again. Let us not displace the expertise of our physicians with cost-savings measures from insurers. It is time to put an end to pay-for-performance and expand access to the most advanced and effective drug therapies for minority communities hit hardest by chronic disease.
With 14 of the top 15 health insurers in New York State placing restrictions on critical drugs so necessary to the health and well being of the Hispanic and African American communities, we should all be able to agree that something must change. The status quo is unacceptable. No longer should minorities have to make unattractive choices between using less-effective drugs or paying out-of-pocket for the drugs our physicians determine that we need, simply because the insurers we pay our premiums to will not cover what will keep us healthy.
The National Association of Hispanic Nurses – New York Chapter supports the American Medical Association in their call for a Health Insurer Code of Conduct. This code would be widely distributed to all physicians and patients and would put an end to the restrictive policies of insurers that put critical medicines out of reach for those that need them most. A code of clear and concise principles adhered to by the insurance industry would challenge health plans to modify their policies without legislative or judicial intervention. In addition, the code would address medical care and payment issues and would need a mechanism to monitor compliance. Then – and only then – would public health stop taking a backseat to the bottom line.
Dan Suarez
The Bronx, NY
President of the National Association of Hispanic Nurses NY Chapter.
www.nahnny.com.
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All News Items
August 26, 2010 - The Lund Report: The Best Care Possible: You're Worth It
June 14, 2010 - American Medical News: 10 things health insurers must do to regain trust; The AMA, with endorsement from 68 state and medical specialty societies, outlines steps health plans must take to be credible in the eyes of physicians and patients.
February 27, 2010 - Providence Journal: The creepy third person in doctor’s exam room
November 28, 2009 - Newport News Daily Press: MDs under attack
November 04, 2009 - The Hill: A code of conduct for health insurers
October 27, 2009 - WCBU-FM 89.9 (Peoria, Ill.) radio news
October 26, 2009 - WEEK (NBC - Peoria, Ill.): Developing a doctor-patient relationship
October 12, 2009 - Las Vegas Business Press: Here's a prescription: A health insurers code of ethics
September 09, 2009 - Maryland State Medical Society Resolution 14-09
August 29, 2009 - The Island Packet: AMA code puts doctors, patients in charge of care
August 28, 2009 - Baltimore Times: Group calls on health insurers
August 27, 2009 - Baltimore Times: Nursing Maryland back to health
August 20, 2009 - Lincoln Journal-Star: Pharmacists forced to serve insurers rather than patients
August 19, 2009 - WSTM-NBC3: Prescription medication battle heats up in Central New York
August 17, 2009 - New York State Senator Jeffrey D. Klein blog: For Health or Profit? Klein Unveils Sickly Scorecard of Major HMOs
August 17, 2009 - New York Daily News: Prescription Prescription drug coverage marred by bureaucracy, survey says
August 13, 2009 - Leading African American Groups Call On Health Insurers to Dismiss Restrictive Practices
August 13, 2009 - San Diego Union-Tribune: Bureaucracy won't contain costs
August 01, 2009 - Huntington, W.V. Herald-Dispatch: Insurers put stress on the physician-patient relationship
July 21, 2009 - Chicago Tribune: They authorized back surgery but denied his $148,000 claim
July 17, 2009 - American Osteopathic Association calls for Development of Code of Conduct
July 12, 2009 - Houston Chronicle: Another kind of remedy for the sick; Code of conduct would protect patients
July 07, 2009 - Washington Post: Health Reform: Who Holds the Reins on Care?
July 06, 2009 - NATIONAL HEALTH INSURER CODE OF CONDUCT HITS 1000 SIGNATURES OF SUPPORT
June 30, 2009 - Atlanta Journal-Constitution: Code of conduct needed for health insurers, too
June 24, 2009 - Penn. Pharmacists Association: “A Patient Walks Up to the Counter …”
June 24, 2009 - Pittsburgh Post-Gazette: Broken bonds; The physician-patient relationship is being destroyed by the cost-driven decisions of health insurers
June 09, 2009 - Bellingham (Wash.) Herald: Time for a health insurance code of conduct
June 08, 2009 - Mississippi Business Journal: Transparency is the best medicine; Health Insurer Code of Conduct may improve the quality of care
June 03, 2009 - Frederick (Md.) News Post Op-Ed: Pharmacists pawns in health care's game of chess
June 01, 2009 - KUSI-TV interview with Dr. Jack Schim
May 25, 2009 - San Francisco Chronicle: Doctor pushes back against insurer scrutiny
May 08, 2009 - Fox News Health Blog: Bad Medicine: Is Your Insurance Company Hazardous to Your Health?
April 27, 2009 - Petition for Health Insurer Code of Conduct Garners Widespread National Support
April 20, 2009 - On-line petition launched in support of a national health insurer code of conduct
April 13, 2009 - Petition launched in support of a national health insurer code of conduct
April 09, 2009 - Westchester (N.Y.) Herald letters: Access to Quality Healthcare
April 01, 2009 - Los Angeles Society of Allergy, Asthma & Clinical Immunology Applauds the AMA for Developing Health Insurer Code of Conduct
March 24, 2009 - Arizona Republic: Patient care, not financial gain, must take priority
March 22, 2009 - Rochester (N.Y.) Democrat and Chronicle: Health insurers should agree to a code of conduct
March 20, 2009 - Buffalo News: Code of conduct would protect patients from insurers
March 10, 2009 - AfPA Launches Petition in Support of a National Health Insurer Code of Conduct
March 09, 2009 - Texas Medical Society: Health Insurance Code of Conduct Act of 2009; The Time Has Come
March 09, 2009 - American Medical News: MSSNY president: Insurer settlements highlight need for code of conduct
February 01, 2009 - Colorado Medicine: Health Insurer Code of Conduct?
January 24, 2009 - Fresno Bee: Doctors push code of conduct for insurers
December 10, 2008 - Lupus Agencies of New York State Applaud AMA's Resolution to Develop a "Code of Conduct" for Health Insurers
December 09, 2008 - New York State Rheumatology Society Position Paper: AMA Resolution 823
November 20, 2008 - National Minority Quality Forum Applauds AMA's Health Insurer Code of Conduct
November 14, 2008 - Alliance for Patient Access Applauds AMA's Health Insurer Code of Conduct
November 13, 2008 - Alliance for Better Medicine Calls on California Health Insurers to Adopt a "Code of Conduct"
November 13, 2008 - Los Angeles County Medical Association Reinforces AMA's Call for a Health Insurer Code of Conduct
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