First and foremost, we must set a goal for healthcare that is based on value, not volume. Our system must be performance-based, not fee-based, thus allowing the best providers to be awarded because they deliver quality care. By basing compensation on results, rather than the number of patients they can push through their offices, providers will become part of the solution for making our state healthier while at the same time, making care more cost-effective.
Secondly, as I’ve already mentioned, the ACA must be addressed. Whether it’s as drastic as completely phasing it out, as the current administration wants to do, or finding a middle ground to fix the weak points, as Governor, I will make it one of my highest priorities.
Among the many issues that voters must consider during the 2018 election, there may be no other issue that has as broad an impact on the greatest number of Nevadans than healthcare. Its far-reaching effects touch everyone personally, whether it’s health and wellness, financial security or lifestyle choices.
The fact that healthcare extends into all areas of our lives makes it one of my highest priorities when I become Governor. We need real leadership—driven by innovative thinking—to generate the results we need to make the state’s healthcare system “healthy” again. We must not only find the financial solutions to our healthcare challenges, but also ways to make the system more streamlined, cost-effective and responsive to both healthcare professionals and patients.
At the same time, we must also develop a pathway to enable Nevadans to live healthier lifestyles that could then help reduce their dependence on medical needs.
As Governor, I’ll be committed to working with the legislature to find the right solutions to effectively regulate our insurance market. I am not a supporter of the ACA, not because I don’t want everyone insured, but because I don’t want our state struggling with implementation because the government won’t give us flexibility in the use of federal funding. Without the ability of each state to determine the best use of funds, the ACA sends us closer to a single-payer government healthcare system which is controlled by Washington; giving them way too much power and control over one-fifth of the economy.
Our legislature took several steps to stabilize our healthcare market, especially for the short-term. But with the recent uncertainty of the ACA on a national level, the next Governor will be tasked with addressing healthcare long into the future.
But the starting point to finding the way to do so means finding the answers to what Nevadans really want from their healthcare: Affordable rates? Lower costs? Access? Quality healthcare? My gut tells me that people won’t want to choose from that list of priorities; they’ll want them all.
To accomplish that will be a journey that will most likely go far beyond my term as Governor. But there is no reason we can’t start the process now. It will be a bumpy road and there will be a give and take, winners and losers, which will sometimes require taking two steps forward and one step back. The important thing is to meet our objective: effective and affordable healthcare that is available to all Nevadans.
As a free market, there is no reason this can’t be accomplished, so long as all parties get on board and work together.
Making healthcare ‘affordable’ and ‘effective’ does not have to be mutually exclusive. If we focus on our healthcare system being value driven and accountable, then we’ve found the perfect place to start.
First and foremost, we must set a goal for healthcare that is based on value, not volume. Our system must be performance-based, not fee-based, thus allowing the best providers to be awarded because they deliver quality care. By basing compensation on results, rather than the number of patients they can push through their offices, providers will become part of the solution for making our state healthier while at the same time, making care more cost-effective.
Secondly, as I’ve already mentioned, the ACA must be addressed. Whether it’s as drastic as completely phasing it out, as the current administration wants to do, or finding a middle ground to fix the weak points, as Governor, I will make it one of my highest priorities.
I’ve personally experienced the difficulty of dealing with healthcare under the ACA, both personally and as a business owner. I have the unique perspective of having to deal with the ACA as a successful small businessman. I’ve seen it make it harder for my employees to get health insurance: from higher costs to questionable coverage, to even having difficulties even getting access to the system to compare providers and select coverage. For my family, I pay an average $4,000 more per year for our health insurance.
If it is not addressed in a timely and logical manner, with the desired end result being the greater good of all Nevadans , we will face even greater challenges in the months and years ahead. And it will extend beyond just healthcare; affecting our economy, job creation, business growth and diversification, and more. This could lead to a lack of revenue as well as state budget deficits that would impact every family in Nevada.
Fixing healthcare is going to be a marathon, not a sprint. The most important thing is that it has to start now. I’m willing to take responsibility to start the long process.
