Presentation Topics

 

Physicians:

Following an explanation of why our system is headed for disaster and why current reform efforts won’t save it, Terry describes his reform model. He emphasizes the need for physicians to join group practices and to take financial responsibility for care. Despite their preference for autonomy and fee for service payment arrangements, he reminds them that the current system is unsustainable and that insurance companies are getting rich at the expense of doctors and patients. After detailing his proposal for reaching universal coverage, he wraps up by pointing out that his approach would benefit physicians economically and help them provide better care.

 

Employers:

Terry explains why our system is headed for a train wreck and how that would affect employers as well as their workers. He then talks about the various solutions corporations are backing, including disease management, pay for performance (P4P), consumer driven care, and health IT, and explains why none of those approaches will rein in runaway spending. Finally, he lays out his reform proposal, accenting its advantages for employers who want to control their costs without a government takeover of health care.

 

Health-policy experts:

This speech includes elements of the other two, plus a consideration of the deeper policy issues involved. Among those issues are the stigma attached to “gatekeeper” plans; the ability of physician groups to improve care without P4P; the effect of publishing cost and quality information in Minneapolis; the predictable opposition from hospitals to administered prices; and how Terry’s reform model might affect the supply of primary-care physicians and the willingness of specialists to work in underserved areas.