Presidential candidate Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-N.Y.) on Thursday in Lebanon, N.H., announced a proposal to improve health care quality, the AP/Washington Times reports.
During a speech at Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center, Clinton said that the proposal would increase Medicare reimbursements for physicians who participate in certification programs.The proposal also would increase reimbursements from all federal programs for physicians who use teams to provide coordinated care and would end payments for preventable conditions that occur in hospitals, Clinton said.
She added that the proposal would provide $300 million to increase enrollment in nursing schools, establish mentor programs for recent graduates and recruit more minorities into the profession. In addition, Clinton said that the proposal would expand and improve the information available to help patients make informed health care decisions.
She said, "Too often, and in too many places, our health care system hurts us instead of helps us," adding, "It hurts doctors, who aren't rewarded for providing the best care and are often punished for it financially. It hurts nurses, who are asked to work longer hours, caring for more patients with fewer resources. And it hurts patients, who are forced to make complicated medical decisions without basic information about their conditions and options".
In addition, Clinton said, "Everyone tells me the same thing. Our health care system isn't working, and what can we do about it? The cost is too high and the coverage too thin, the care is not what it should be."
In May, Clinton announced a proposal to reduce health care costs during a speech at George Washington University. She plans to announce a proposal to expand health insurance to more U.S. residents next month.
Source-Kaiser Family Foundation
LIN/J
