Traditional health care − driven by quantity over quality − is at a crossroads. A system that historically paid doctors and hospitals only by the number of patient visits has produced myriad problems for patients and care providers alike. In reality, it is a sick care system, reacting to illness rather than bolstering good health and preventing sickness. In hindsight, it was a terrible way to finance a health care system. It makes achieving and maintaining health difficult, it is unnecessarily expensive, and it results in a poor experience for patients and health care workers alike. It is broken.
Ohioans are in particular need of better health outcomes and more affordable health care. Costs across the Buckeye State continue to increase much faster than wages and other parts of our economy. “Ohioans live less healthy lives and spend more on health care than people in most other states,” according to the Health Policy Institute of Ohio.
The good news is we are making significant progress in changing the game here in Cincinnati through collaboration between health plans and health systems. TriHealth and Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield are a perfect example − working closely together to deliver and pay for health care based on quality rather than quantity. No single entity can solve our country’s far-reaching health care crisis, making it clear that collaboration is the path to better health at lower cost in the U.S.