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American College of Cardiology president asks Senate to consider certain principles as it debates health care reform
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The president of the American College of Cardiology has written a letter to the United States Senate requesting it prioritize patient access to meaningful coverage and quality, cost-effective care.
Mary Norine Walsh, MD, FACC, who is also medical director of the HF and cardiac transplantation programs at St. Vincent Heart Center in Indianapolis and a member of the Cardiology Today Editorial Board, wrote the letter as the Senate began deliberations on the American Health Care Act, which was passed by the U.S. House of Representatives.
Walsh wrote that the ACC has adopted a set of principles aimed to guide the future of health care in America. These principles are as follows:
- Expand access to and prevent loss of health care coverage through public and private programs.
- Guarantee access to affordable coverage options for patients with CVD and other pre-existing conditions.
- Improve access to and coverage of preventive care and make greater investment in research, prevention, public health and disease surveillance.
- Continue and build upon policies to leverage health information technology to improve patient care and outcomes.
- Stay committed to patient-centered, evidence-based care and reverse trends toward less personal contact between patients and providers.
- Emphasize professionalism, transparency and the collaborative clinician-patient relationship to improve quality and promote better outcomes.
- Create and expand models that promote and reward value, team-based care and shared decision making through the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation and other entities.
- Minimize barriers to delivery of efficient, high-quality CV care in all practice settings.
According to Walsh, the first two principles are the most important and are central to the current deliberations.
“Any successful health reform legislation must expand access to and prevent loss from health care coverage through public and private programs,” Walsh wrote. “It must also guarantee access to affordable coverage options for patients with CVD and other pre-existing conditions.”
It is important to remember that improvement of health care in America is a shared goal, Walsh wrote.
“I ask you and all of your colleagues to prioritize protection for the most vulnerable Americans as health reform efforts move forward,” she wrote. “The ACC and its members in every state will continue to work with lawmakers on both sides of the aisle to promote solutions that maintain patient access to the coverage and care they need.”
Disclosure: Walsh reports no relevant financial disclosures.