Latest news with #accessToCare
Forbes
2 days ago
- Business
- Forbes
The Real Medicaid Crisis Isn't Cuts—It's The Model Itself
WASHINGTON, DC: U.S. Speaker of the House Mike Johnson (R-LA) speaks to the media after the House ... More narrowly passed the "One, Big, Beautiful Bill" Act on May 22, 2025. Johnson was flanked by House Committee Chairmen who helped craft the legislation. (Photo by) Hospitals and trade groups are sounding the alarm over proposed Medicaid reductions, warning of serious consequences to access and financial stability. The concern is warranted, but it's only part of a larger, more systemic problem that keeps getting overlooked. If we want to protect access to care, especially for the most vulnerable, we have to move beyond the rhetoric of funding shortfalls. The root cause isn't this or that funding change. It's the broken business model that continues to siphon resources into unproductive spending. The real question isn't whether we can afford to keep expanding Medicaid. It's whether we can finally confront the inefficiencies that make even basic coverage feel out of reach. Though Medicaid has historically been the least attractive payment mode for providers–characterized by low reimbursement rates and administrative burden–it provided a lifeline for many delivery organizations post-ACA. The expansion meant more patients came through the doors with some form of coverage. But that window is closing. As the federal government reassesses eligibility and reduces its contribution, states are being asked to absorb the difference. That's a tall order. Many states are already grappling with budget constraints, and municipal systems are ill-equipped to fill the gap. Trade associations warn that millions may lose coverage. But hospitals aren't just worried about patients, they're also worried about the bottom line. They're ringing alarm bells not just because coverage is vanishing for individuals, but because revenue is vanishing for them. Medicaid cuts don't stand alone. They're the latest in a long string of policy changes that have slowly but steadily eroded confidence in the healthcare business model. Each time CMS or Congress tweaks funding, adjusts metrics or rolls out a new pilot program, providers find ways to adapt. But they can do that without ever truly transforming the underlying business model. And it's the transformation that has been at the heart of many of the actions that CMS and Congress have taken. We've seen this before: narrow fixes, more requirements, shifting incentives. It's become a pattern. And over time, these piecemeal adjustments have created a system so complex that even well-meaning changes produce unintended negative consequences. The deeper issue isn't a specific cut, it's the habit of tinkering at the margins instead of addressing the foundational issues: lack of alignment around value, bloated administrative structures and incentives that reward volume over outcomes. In my book Bringing Value to Healthcare, I estimated $500 billion per year in unnecessary healthcare spending. That figure was based on data from 2016–and there's little evidence the situation has improved. From duplicative testing to redundant administrative overhead, inefficiencies plague every corner of the delivery system. When policymakers say we 'can't afford' to provide coverage, they're missing the point. We're already spending far more than we need to. We're just not using it effectively. If we changed the underlying structure of the system, we could afford to provide coverage for every eligible American without increasing the total spend. The resources exist; we're just not deploying them wisely. Medicaid expansion gave providers short-term relief, but it also prolonged the illusion that the current system could be made to work with just a few more adjustments. Every time we patch the model rather than redesign it, we lock ourselves deeper into a framework that no longer serves patients or the public good. As I outlined in a recent column, the core cause of escalating costs is an underlying payment model with three fundamental flaws. First, it lacks transparency in cost and quality–either at the transaction level or across the continuum of care. Second, there is little accountability for outcomes that matter, with payment generally disconnected from the services provided. And third, without clear line of sight to outcomes and cost, consumer-patients have little ability to comparison shop for non-emergent care. If we're serious about protecting access, improving outcomes and reducing cost, we need to change the model on these three points. That means paying for value, not volume. It means holding providers accountable for outcomes. And it means demanding transparency from systems that have been opaque for far too long. Medicaid cuts may be painful, but they're not the root of the crisis. They're one more stress test on a business model that's already failed. If we don't want to keep reliving this same debate with every fiscal cycle, we need to stop managing symptoms and start curing the disease. There is enough money in the system to provide meaningful coverage. But only if we stop pouring it into inefficiency. Until then, we'll continue to panic over the symptoms of our problems, without ever addressing their causes.
CTV News
31-05-2025
- General
- CTV News
Canadian Medical Association names N.B. doctor as new president
Dr. Margot Burnell, who became the new president of the Canadian Medical Association on May 31, 2025, is pictured. (Source: Canadian Medical Association) A New Brunswick doctor has been named the new president of the Canadian Medical Association (CMA). Dr. Margot Burnell officially took on the role Saturday during the CMA's annual general meeting. The CMA said Burnell has been an oncologist for more than 30 years at the Saint John Regional Hospital. During her address to colleagues Saturday, the CMA said Burnell 'emphasized her commitment to improve access to care' as a core issue of her year-long mandate. 'Canadians deserve a health system that is there for them when they need it,' said Burnell in a news release. 'I strongly believe that ideas and lived experience from patients, physicians and others at the front lines are critical to building a future for health care that Canadians can take pride in.' Burnell said she also intends to advance Indigenous reconciliation in health care, strengthen Canada's health workforce, reduce physicians' paperwork and improve physician well-being. The president of the CMA is elected by members from a different province or territory each year. Burnell takes over from Dr. Joss Reimer of Winnipeg. The president-elect is now Dr. Bolu Ogunyemi who practices medicine in Newfoundland and Labrador. For more New Brunswick news, visit our dedicated provincial page.
Yahoo
31-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Canadian Medical Association welcomes Dr. Margot Burnell as new president
OTTAWA, ON, May 31, 2025 /CNW/ - New Brunswick's Dr. Margot Burnell is now the president of the Canadian Medical Association (CMA), following an installation ceremony at its annual general meeting today. An oncologist for more than three decades at the Saint John Regional Hospital, Dr. Burnell has seen the impact of a health system under pressure. During her address to physician-colleagues, Dr. Burnell emphasized her commitment to improve access to care as a core issue of her year-long mandate. She is also eager to advance Indigenous reconciliation in health care, strengthen Canada's health workforce, reduce physicians' paperwork and improve physician well-being. "Canadians deserve a health system that is there for them when they need it," she says. "I strongly believe that ideas and lived experience from patients, physicians and others at the front lines are critical to building a future for health care that Canadians can take pride in." The president of the CMA is elected by members from a different province or territory every year and speaks on behalf of Canada's physicians to policy-makers, partners, media and Canadians. With the start of Dr. Burnell's presidency, Dr. Joss Reimer of Winnipeg becomes the CMA's past president. Dr. Bolu Ogunyemi named CMA president-electDr. Bolu Ogunyemi became president-elect at today's AGM. Dr. Ogunyemi practises medical dermatology in St. John's, NL, and has maintained a visiting specialist clinic in Labrador City since 2018. In addition to numerous leadership roles at Memorial University of Newfoundland's Faculty of Medicine, including the inaugural Assistant Dean of Social Accountability (2020–23), he has served on the Newfoundland and Labrador Medical Association Board of Directors. About the CMA The Canadian Medical Association leads a national movement with physicians who believe in a better future of health. Our ambition is a sustainable, accessible health system where patients are partners, a culture of medicine that elevates equity, diversity and wellbeing, and supportive communities where everyone has the chance to be healthy. We drive change through advocacy, giving and knowledge sharing – guided by values of collaboration and inclusion. SOURCE Canadian Medical Association View original content: Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Yahoo
26-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
STATEMENT - CMA looks to health care solutions in throne speech
OTTAWA, ON, May 26, 2025 /CNW/ - The Canadian Medical Association (CMA) urges the new government to uphold its election promises to expand access to care, graduate more doctors, build clinics and support Indigenous-led health care as they table their agenda for the upcoming parliamentary session. The CMA is pleased that its recommendations to improve health care for all Canadians were committed to in the Liberal platform in the recent election. Canadians are facing enough economic and affordability pressures - they shouldn't also need to worry about access to health care. We agree with Prime Minister Carney that our strength lies in our resolve to work together as a country. Health care solutions cannot be implemented in silos, one level of government at a time. To improve our health care system in a way that truly meets Canadians' needs is through federal leadership and across-the-board collaboration. The CMA is ready to work with the new government to implement the solutions that will make our health care system a driving force of Canada's economic agenda. Dr. Joss ReimerPresident, CMA SOURCE Canadian Medical Association View original content: Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
