All signs are pointing toward major healthcare reform this year, the White House's "health reform czar" Nancy-Ann DeParle says.
DeParle briefed reporters during a morning forum hosted by the Kaiser Family Foundation in Washington April 15. The former HCFA director under the Clinton administration spoke about her bipartisan efforts to make reform a reality this year as the head of the White House Office of Health Reform. She's met with 40 members of Congress and attended town hall-style meetings across the country over the last month.
She spoke about making the Medicare fee-for-service system better. In general, proposals that will reform the Medicare payment system include:
- Addressing Medicare Advantage spending
- Bundling payments and offering incentives for providing quality of care
- Comparative effectiveness research to provide physicians and patients with more information about care options
- Health information technology that will cut down on costly medical errors
Below is an hour-long video of the session from Kaiser.