Article Highlights
- It will be nearly impossible to move to a high-value, low-cost delivery system if Medicare fee-for-service stays as it is today
- A more reliable approach to higher-quality and lower-cost patient care is strong competition in a functioning marketplace
Senator Whitehouse, Ranking Member Enzi, and members of the committee, thank you for the opportunity to participate in this very important hearing on health care delivery system reform.
I would like to make three basic points in my testimony today:
1. The source of many of our problems in health care delivery is the dominant Medicare fee-for-service (FFS) program. It will be nearly impossible to move to a high-value, low-cost delivery system if Medicare FFS continues to operate as it does today.
2. The 2010 health care law’s efforts at “delivery system reform” — most of which fall within Medicare — are very unlikely to be the solution people are hoping for because the federal government is not good at fostering a high-value, low-cost provider network.
3. A more reliable approach to higher-quality and lower-cost patient care is strong competition in a functioning marketplace.
Capretta Senate HELP testimony May 16, 2012
Read the entire testimony
Download PDF
