Here's To Your Health, America, as 2006 draws to a close....

As NY considers the recommendations of its committee for Hospitals and Healthcare in the 21st Century (the hospital closing commission to many) and we see West Virginia is trying a Medicaid incentive program that rewards patients that are diligent with their care, and try to prevent problems, with more services, I would like to discuss this. First, let me just pat myself on the back and point out that NY's idea of converting some of these hospitals into clinics and outpatient care centers are ideas you read here. Also, what is being tried in West Virginia was also posited by me in the comments to a healthcare editorial on the CBS News website. Why do I mention this, besdides to blow my own horn? Because this is only the beginning,and there is much more to do. Also, it is not just the ideas, but how they are handled. In NY, they are creating a lot of upheavel, lost jobs, mandatory changes of affiliation and services offered. It is landmark, but is it reasonable and ultimately legal? And more to the point, is it fair? Are they allocating enough resources to help with the changes? So far, 1.5 billion has been mentioned and that won't be enough. West Virginia has the right idea, in that people need to take responsibility for their own health, and if they won't. there is only so much the public should pay for it. You will see alot more of the ideas you read about here first, but obviously, the lead time was short, and these things were being worked on before they were written here. I am not trying to take credit for them, merely to point out that the cutting edge of healthcare reform sits right here. Somethings you will read here fist, and some will just be better said here. And just like the rest of the country, we will even make a few errors in judgement, but not too many. When I am finished analyzing the commissions proposals we will examine them in more depth here, and see what can be done better.