Tulsa Beacon
Dan Keating
Recently the State Chamber of Oklahoma sponsored a healthcare summit bringing together physicians, hospital administrators, providers, brokers, health care authority members and corporate officials to discuss Oklahoma’s physical and mental fitness. The State Chamber plays a unique role as an advocate for business and a fearless challenger to any status quo foe fighting reforms.
The summit was divided into three segments. The first dealt with preparation for catastrophic events and which agencies have jurisdiction. Healthcare officials are very concerned that a future epidemic could break out which could lead to a major loss of life as in the pandemic of 1918. No one is certain as to its cause in 1918 and what allowed the illness to run its course and disappear. For all of us, it is good that there are those who daily monitor new disease strains across the globe.
The second and third sessions were of major interest to the 500 attendees since it dealt with Oklahoma’s health condition and controlling health care costs. Each session had a moderator and expert panelists.
Well, how are we doing health-wise? The answer and prospects are bleak. Oklahomans live two years less than fellow Americans. We suffer from chronic diseases like heart disease and cancer. This results from high obesity and diabetes. We are the top state in heart disease and 47th in tobacco usage, a major cancer cause. On the mental health and addiction side, 26 percent of Oklahomans suffer through these issues. The panelists were well aware that nutrition in schools must improve radically and that we all need more exercise. A glance around the room showed that many health care providers too were grossly overweight.
The president of the Oklahoma Medical Association reminded the audience that Oklahoma is dead last in primary-care physicians per population. Oklahoma’s emergency rooms are also seeing an exodus of doctors. As a state, we are 49th in access to physicians and 18 percent of the population is uninsured. The latter adds $2,900 per year to the insurance costs of insured Oklahoma families. 760,000 Oklahomans qualify for Medicaid.
The third leg of the program dwelt on how to control costs. There were discussions about how the legislature is trying to reduce costs through the SoonerCare Choice Plan for low-income individuals and the insure Oklahoma/O-Epic employer-sponsored insurance. O-Epic is designed for small companies with 50 employees or less who are relatively low wage earners. Six percent of the cost of the plan can be reimbursed which allows more companies to offer medical insurance. Currently 2,400 employees utilize O-Epic with 10,000 employees being covered. This is a great success and should be further promoted.
All in all, before getting to the dinners’ featured guest, former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich, the program was very informative and it was obvious there is much to do before Oklahoma is a truly fit state.
Some presenters spoke of the crisis we face. Others know that more dollars are needed. I left with the feeling we are only chewing around the edges of the problem since one huge solution will never be found.
I know as a past chairman of the Cigarette and Tobacco Tax Advisory Committee that of all the entities receiving new tobacco tax money, prevention gets the least. If our children are too fat, why not start physical training? Is it really so impossible? Who else could get kid’s attention more the Oklahoma native Chuck Norris? At least a pilot program should be tried.
Let’s just do something. Our health figures today are as abysmal as they were five years ago and will be in another five years unless we do something. That seemed to be the summit panelist’s problem. They were waiting for someone else to take charge and make a decision.
Then came Newt. The former speaker is heavily involved in the national healthcare debate. Right off the bat, he wanted the audience to know that the federal government cannot solve healthcare. To make his point, Newt said the Census Bureau just announced they would return to manual counting of all 303,000,000 Americans in 2010. They will hire 600,000 individuals at a cost of $14 billion. Contrast their lack of automation with UPS and Federal Express which track 23,000,000 packages daily moving across the country. The U.S. Immigration Service can’t find 20,000,000 illegals that are not moving. People like Newt’s style.
Maybe, he thought, the answer might be to send packages to all illegals and find out where they live. He offered that health care is too big and too much to fully comprehend by anyone so as to lend itself to just one solution. The answer must come in solving parts of the problem.
He said that the costs of not emphasizing exercise and prevention and then having to pay for dialysis was immense. He said we are shortchanging ourselves, our families and nation by ignoring and not speaking of the problems. Newt also said, “Paying someone Social Security into old age is far cheaper than paying for medical expenses for protracted illness.”
One doctor said Oklahoma was having a difficult time retaining primary physicians. Before the question was fully asked, Newt interrupted, “I have the answer.” “One, increase the reimbursements. Two, pass tort reform and for young doctors, forgive their student loans.” There was loud applause. “But,” the doctor pleaded. “Our governor vetoed tort reform twice.” Newt coolly answered, “Then, get a new governor.” Yes, there is no permanent dark cloud floating over Oklahoma. We have shortchanged ourselves by electing the wrong people. Hopefully with the State Chamber’s leadership maybe we can see our problems more clearly and hold ourselves accountable by taking steps today to make a future for our children.
Learn more at the Center for Health Transformation