Comments on: Why Reform Is Going So Badly http://www.seefirstblog.com/2009/08/06/why-reform-is-going-so-badly/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=why-reform-is-going-so-badly Insights into the uncertain world of healthcare Wed, 28 Jul 2010 23:43:22 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0 By: Evan Falchuk http://www.seefirstblog.com/2009/08/06/why-reform-is-going-so-badly/comment-page-1/#comment-300 Evan Falchuk Fri, 21 Aug 2009 15:20:54 +0000 http://www.seefirstblog.com/?p=965#comment-300 Great story, Greg. Your experience, by the way, is I think one of the big reasons why consumer-driven plans aren't as popular as you would logically think they should be. People don't like their benefits changed, and it takes thoughtful, insightful approaches to these issues to handle them successfully. It sounds like you did a terrific job with that. Evan Great story, Greg.

Your experience, by the way, is I think one of the big reasons why consumer-driven plans aren’t as popular as you would logically think they should be.

People don’t like their benefits changed, and it takes thoughtful, insightful approaches to these issues to handle them successfully. It sounds like you did a terrific job with that.

Evan

]]> By: Greg Matthews http://www.seefirstblog.com/2009/08/06/why-reform-is-going-so-badly/comment-page-1/#comment-292 Greg Matthews Wed, 19 Aug 2009 16:40:25 +0000 http://www.seefirstblog.com/?p=965#comment-292 In a past life, I was responsible for buying the benefits for my 600-person company. When we initiated our first consumer-driven plan, we had a reaction from employees that was very similar to what you describe. What really helped was that in the first year, we took our savings (ALL of our savings - which were fairly substantial) and rolled them into an employee bonus. That helped a lot in terms of understanding what it meant to the company to change the structure of our benefits. In a past life, I was responsible for buying the benefits for my 600-person company. When we initiated our first consumer-driven plan, we had a reaction from employees that was very similar to what you describe.
What really helped was that in the first year, we took our savings (ALL of our savings – which were fairly substantial) and rolled them into an employee bonus. That helped a lot in terms of understanding what it meant to the company to change the structure of our benefits.

]]> By: Why Reform is Going So Badly, Continued « See First Blog http://www.seefirstblog.com/2009/08/06/why-reform-is-going-so-badly/comment-page-1/#comment-279 Why Reform is Going So Badly, Continued « See First Blog Thu, 13 Aug 2009 20:03:16 +0000 http://www.seefirstblog.com/?p=965#comment-279 [...] I’ve blogged about before (here, here, here and here), a big reason reform is going so badly is this:  Reformers don’t understand [...] [...] I’ve blogged about before (here, here, here and here), a big reason reform is going so badly is this:  Reformers don’t understand [...]

]]> By: Ed Koch: Don’t Mess With My Employee Benefits « See First Blog http://www.seefirstblog.com/2009/08/06/why-reform-is-going-so-badly/comment-page-1/#comment-277 Ed Koch: Don’t Mess With My Employee Benefits « See First Blog Thu, 13 Aug 2009 13:38:31 +0000 http://www.seefirstblog.com/?p=965#comment-277 [...] been making the point that health reform’s troubles are due to a fundamental failure of reformers to understand [...] [...] been making the point that health reform’s troubles are due to a fundamental failure of reformers to understand [...]

]]> By: Am Ang Zhang http://www.seefirstblog.com/2009/08/06/why-reform-is-going-so-badly/comment-page-1/#comment-273 Am Ang Zhang Tue, 11 Aug 2009 21:09:16 +0000 http://www.seefirstblog.com/?p=965#comment-273 In the UK and Europe the Health Insurance is paid by taxation. Unemployed people still do not pay. They buy lottery tickets though and as such a third of lottery profit should really go into health care. Found your site via Grand Rounds. <a href="http://cockroachcatcher.blogspot.com" rel="nofollow">The Cockroach Catcher</a> In the UK and Europe the Health Insurance is paid by taxation. Unemployed people still do not pay. They buy lottery tickets though and as such a third of lottery profit should really go into health care.

Found your site via Grand Rounds.

The Cockroach Catcher

]]> By: Grand Rounds, Vol. 5.47 - Cost Containment In Healthcare : The Covert Rationing Blog http://www.seefirstblog.com/2009/08/06/why-reform-is-going-so-badly/comment-page-1/#comment-270 Grand Rounds, Vol. 5.47 - Cost Containment In Healthcare : The Covert Rationing Blog Tue, 11 Aug 2009 12:09:42 +0000 http://www.seefirstblog.com/?p=965#comment-270 [...] try to sort this all out, Evan Falchuk from See First suggests that proponents of currently proposed healthcare reform should not be so quick to dismiss [...] [...] try to sort this all out, Evan Falchuk from See First suggests that proponents of currently proposed healthcare reform should not be so quick to dismiss [...]

]]> By: What in the World is Steven Pearlstein Talking About, Ctd. « See First Blog http://www.seefirstblog.com/2009/08/06/why-reform-is-going-so-badly/comment-page-1/#comment-268 What in the World is Steven Pearlstein Talking About, Ctd. « See First Blog Sun, 09 Aug 2009 21:21:15 +0000 http://www.seefirstblog.com/?p=965#comment-268 [...] important, needed and worthy of serious, sustained discussion.  We haven’t had it, and the anger at the town halls is a reflection of how people feel when they think they aren’t being [...] [...] important, needed and worthy of serious, sustained discussion.  We haven’t had it, and the anger at the town halls is a reflection of how people feel when they think they aren’t being [...]

]]> By: Evan Falchuk http://www.seefirstblog.com/2009/08/06/why-reform-is-going-so-badly/comment-page-1/#comment-261 Evan Falchuk Fri, 07 Aug 2009 17:34:10 +0000 http://www.seefirstblog.com/?p=965#comment-261 Thanks for the comment, Deron. Yes, reform is a day by day process, not something that can somehow be done overnight. Keep doing the things you do to make a difference. And of course, keep writing about them! Evan Thanks for the comment, Deron.

Yes, reform is a day by day process, not something that can somehow be done overnight. Keep doing the things you do to make a difference. And of course, keep writing about them!

Evan

]]> By: Deron S. http://www.seefirstblog.com/2009/08/06/why-reform-is-going-so-badly/comment-page-1/#comment-260 Deron S. Thu, 06 Aug 2009 23:52:04 +0000 http://www.seefirstblog.com/?p=965#comment-260 Health insurance reform is lazy reform. It goes after the insurance companies because they are an easy target. The people that really get it (Evan, Dr. Val, etc.) know that reform should be much more than that. Every stakeholder and every cost driver must be addressed if we're going to meaningfully "bend the cost curve". I started getting really disappointed when Obama began calling it health insurance reform. Then I knew that a lot of the heavy lifting would not get done. Health insurance reform is lazy reform. It goes after the insurance companies because they are an easy target. The people that really get it (Evan, Dr. Val, etc.) know that reform should be much more than that. Every stakeholder and every cost driver must be addressed if we’re going to meaningfully “bend the cost curve”.

I started getting really disappointed when Obama began calling it health insurance reform. Then I knew that a lot of the heavy lifting would not get done.

]]> By: Evan Falchuk http://www.seefirstblog.com/2009/08/06/why-reform-is-going-so-badly/comment-page-1/#comment-259 Evan Falchuk Thu, 06 Aug 2009 22:53:01 +0000 http://www.seefirstblog.com/?p=965#comment-259 Thanks, Val. I'm reminded of the scene in the film Roger & Me where he is showing the closing of the GM plants in Flint, Michigan. It's not clear to the employees what is really going on. An executive is seen explaining to a group on the day the plant is closing (around 4:20 in <a href="http://bit.ly/dA3VI" rel="nofollow">this clip</a>) that it's not a plant closing. Instead, he says, it's "the loss of one product line." If you're going to communicate with your employees, you have to be clear and direct. No spin. And you better have your story straight. The trouble our representatives are running into is that they can't do any of those things because they don't have any story to tell. It's no wonder they are getting reactions like the ones GM's workers showed in that film. Thanks, Val.

I’m reminded of the scene in the film Roger & Me where he is showing the closing of the GM plants in Flint, Michigan.

It’s not clear to the employees what is really going on. An executive is seen explaining to a group on the day the plant is closing (around 4:20 in this clip) that it’s not a plant closing. Instead, he says, it’s “the loss of one product line.”

If you’re going to communicate with your employees, you have to be clear and direct. No spin. And you better have your story straight. The trouble our representatives are running into is that they can’t do any of those things because they don’t have any story to tell. It’s no wonder they are getting reactions like the ones GM’s workers showed in that film.

]]>