The North Carolina Health Care Affordability Commission held its first meeting this week. The gathering in Raleigh included more than two dozen participants ranging from physicians and professors to health insurers and elected officials.
Their focus was on making healthcare more affordable for North Carolinians without sacrificing quality. Co-Chair and State Treasurer Brad Briner began the meeting by sharing a long list of similar efforts dating back to the 1940s, with little to show for it. He challenged commission members to do better.
“It’s easy to protect our own turf, point fingers across the table, and explain why the other guy needs to cut their costs, and our own bottom line should be unaffected,” he said. “But I’m asking you to step outside of what is good just for your individual organization, your health system, your company, and focus entirely on what is good for the state of North Carolina.”…