Skip to main content
Sister Publication Links
  • ESG: THE NEW IMPERATIVE
Subscribe
  • My Account
  • Login
  • Subscribe
  • News
    • Current News
    • COVID-19
    • Providers
    • Insurance
    • Government
    • Finance
    • Technology
    • Safety & Quality
    • Transformation
    • People
    • Regional News
    • Digital Edition (Web Version)
    • Patients
    • Operations
    • Care Delivery
    • Payment
    • Midwest
    • Northeast
    • South
    • West
  • Digital Health
  • Insights
    • ACA 10 Years After
    • Best Practices
    • Special Reports
    • Innovations
  • Data/Lists
    • Rankings/Lists
    • Interactive Databases
    • Data Points
  • Opinion
    • Bold Moves
    • Breaking Bias
    • Commentaries
    • Letters
    • Vital Signs Blog
    • From the Editor
  • Events & Awards
    • Awards
    • Conferences
    • Galas
    • Virtual Briefings
    • Custom Media Event: ESG Summit
    • Webinars
    • Nominate/Eligibility
    • 100 Most Influential People
    • 50 Most Influential Clinical Executives
    • Best Places to Work in Healthcare
    • Excellence in Governance
    • Health Care Hall of Fame
    • Healthcare Marketing Impact Awards
    • Top 25 Emerging Leaders
    • Top 25 Innovators
    • Diversity in Healthcare
      • - Luminaries
      • - Top 25 Diversity Leaders
      • - Leaders to Watch
    • Women in Healthcare
      • - Luminaries
      • - Top 25 Women Leaders
      • - Women to Watch
    • Leadership Symposium
    • Social Determinants of Health Symposium
    • Transformation Summit
    • Women Leaders in Healthcare Conference
    • Best Places to Work Awards Gala
    • Health Care Hall of Fame Gala
    • Top 25 Diversity Leaders Gala
    • Top 25 Women Leaders Gala
    • - Hospital of the Future
    • - Value Based Care
    • - Supply Chain Revenue Cycle
    • - Hospital at Home
    • - Workplace of the Future
    • - Virtual Health
    • - Future of Healthcare Staffing
  • Multimedia
    • Podcast - Beyond the Byline
    • Sponsored Podcast - Healthcare Insider
    • Video Series - The Check Up
    • Sponsored Video Series - One on One
  • MORE +
    • Advertise
    • Media Kit
    • Newsletters
    • Jobs
    • People on the Move
    • Reprints & Licensing
MENU
Breadcrumb
  1. Home
  2. Government
February 25, 2017 12:00 AM

Guest Commentary: Lawmakers must protect the essentials in the ACA replacement

John T. Fox
  • Tweet
  • Share
  • Share
  • Email
  • More
    Reprints Print
    John T. Fox is president and CEO of Beaumont Health, based in Southfield, Mich.

    Delivering effective, efficient and extraordinary healthcare to all requires full access to care. Health insurance, either private or government, is essential to that access, which is why Beaumont Health is urging President Donald Trump and members of Congress to tread carefully as they consider changes to the Affordable Care Act.

    As of this month, about 12 million Americans have gained access to care through ACA plans on federal or state exchanges. Nearly 1 million people in Beaumont's home state of Michigan have health coverage through the ACA or the Healthy Michigan Medicaid expansion plan. Some 61,000 people are now getting treatment at our facilities as a result of the coverage through the Healthy Michigan Plan.

    Some of these individuals have very serious health conditions, such as cancer, heart disease and diabetes.

    Greater access to care strengthens our ability to improve the health and wellness of the patients, families and communities we and other health systems serve.

    Any disruption to access and coverage would be devastating to the health of those who are now insured and receiving treatment for acute or chronic conditions. Keeping patients healthy begins with health insurance coverage, so they can have access to physicians and primary care sooner rather than later.

    Preventive screenings, immunizations and tests help to avoid illness or detect it at the earliest, most treatable stages. When care is provided earlier at lower cost, a medical condition can be stopped from advancing to a more serious state and unnecessary medical risk and cost can be avoided.

    Repeal of the ACA without an adequate replacement plan could well wreak havoc on both the health and economic stability of our patients, clinicians, hospitals and communities.

    In a letter sent on behalf of the hundreds of thousands of people we care for annually, the leadership of Beaumont Health asked President Trump and lawmakers to carefully consider the most essential elements of the ACA in discussions of a future healthcare system.

    Keeping the ACA's “10 essential benefits,” such as maternity and newborn care, mental health, substance abuse and pediatric services, will help maintain early interventions, so conditions can still be addressed earlier and at less cost.

    Uninterrupted care for the millions covered by the ACA must be maintained, and so should benefits such as protections against rescinding insurance benefits after a person becomes ill; coverage for children to age 26 and those with pre-existing conditions; and preventive and primary wellness coverage that's essential to healthier lives and lower healthcare costs.

    The ACA has pushed our industry to make improvements in quality and the patient experience. And provider organizations have answered the call. Support for technological advancements that improve care coordination, such as telehealth and electronic health records, should continue because they enhance access to care and improve quality and safety. Technology can also help avoid duplicative care.

    Support for research to eradicate diseases such as cancer and to identify best treatments for chronic conditions should not only continue but increase. To combat physician and nurse shortages, support for training of healthcare professionals must also increase.

    Healthcare bureaucracy can impede our ability to offer patient- and family-centered care. So any new healthcare proposal needs to streamline regulations and protocols that limit clinicians' time with patients.

    Decisive action is needed to address the sharp rise in pharmaceutical prices that is straining hospital budgets and preventing people from getting the lifesaving drugs they need.

    We implore our elected leaders to work with those of us in healthcare in determining what's best for the future of the system as they consider new policy directions.

    Mapping the best way forward for the health of our nation is an important, laborious task. Caregivers and those who support patient care at hospitals and health systems nationwide work collaboratively every day to improve the health and wellness of the patients and families we serve. We urge our federal and state officials to also work together in a bipartisan manner to ensure the best possible healthcare for all Americans.

    Letter
    to the
    Editor

    Send us a letter

    Have an opinion about this story? Click here to submit a Letter to the Editor, and we may publish it in print.

    Recommended for You
    medicare and money
    Inspector General pushes CMS to recover $226M in Medicare overpayments
    Ezike 800.jpg
    Former Illinois health chief Ezike under scrutiny by state's top ethics investigator
    Sponsored Content
    Modern Healthcare Alert: Sign up for this breaking news email to be kept in the loop as urgent healthcare business news unfolds.
    Get Newsletters

    Sign up for enewsletters and alerts to receive breaking news and in-depth coverage of healthcare events and trends, as they happen, right to your inbox.

    Subscribe Today
    MH Magazine Cover

    MH magazine offers content that sheds light on healthcare leaders’ complex choices and touch points—from strategy, governance, leadership development and finance to operations, clinical care, and marketing.

    Subscribe
    Connect with Us
    • LinkedIn
    • Twitter
    • Facebook
    • RSS

    Our Mission

    Modern Healthcare empowers industry leaders to succeed by providing unbiased reporting of the news, insights, analysis and data.

    Contact Us

    (877) 812-1581

    Email us

     

    Resources
    • Contact Us
    • Advertise with Us
    • Ad Choices Ad Choices
    • Sitemap
    Editorial Dept
    • Submission Guidelines
    • Code of Ethics
    • Awards
    • About Us
    Legal
    • Terms and Conditions
    • Privacy Policy
    • Privacy Request
    Modern Healthcare
    Copyright © 1996-2022. Crain Communications, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
    • News
      • Current News
      • COVID-19
      • Providers
      • Insurance
      • Government
      • Finance
      • Technology
      • Safety & Quality
      • Transformation
        • Patients
        • Operations
        • Care Delivery
        • Payment
      • People
      • Regional News
        • Midwest
        • Northeast
        • South
        • West
      • Digital Edition (Web Version)
    • Digital Health
    • Insights
      • ACA 10 Years After
      • Best Practices
      • Special Reports
      • Innovations
    • Data/Lists
      • Rankings/Lists
      • Interactive Databases
      • Data Points
    • Opinion
      • Bold Moves
      • Breaking Bias
      • Commentaries
      • Letters
      • Vital Signs Blog
      • From the Editor
    • Events & Awards
      • Awards
        • Nominate/Eligibility
        • 100 Most Influential People
        • 50 Most Influential Clinical Executives
        • Best Places to Work in Healthcare
        • Excellence in Governance
        • Health Care Hall of Fame
        • Healthcare Marketing Impact Awards
        • Top 25 Emerging Leaders
        • Top 25 Innovators
        • Diversity in Healthcare
          • - Luminaries
          • - Top 25 Diversity Leaders
          • - Leaders to Watch
        • Women in Healthcare
          • - Luminaries
          • - Top 25 Women Leaders
          • - Women to Watch
      • Conferences
        • Leadership Symposium
        • Social Determinants of Health Symposium
        • Transformation Summit
        • Women Leaders in Healthcare Conference
      • Galas
        • Best Places to Work Awards Gala
        • Health Care Hall of Fame Gala
        • Top 25 Diversity Leaders Gala
        • Top 25 Women Leaders Gala
      • Virtual Briefings
        • - Hospital of the Future
        • - Value Based Care
        • - Supply Chain Revenue Cycle
        • - Hospital at Home
        • - Workplace of the Future
        • - Virtual Health
        • - Future of Healthcare Staffing
      • Custom Media Event: ESG Summit
      • Webinars
    • Multimedia
      • Podcast - Beyond the Byline
      • Sponsored Podcast - Healthcare Insider
      • Video Series - The Check Up
      • Sponsored Video Series - One on One
    • MORE +
      • Advertise
      • Media Kit
      • Newsletters
      • Jobs
      • People on the Move
      • Reprints & Licensing