May 11
by Wayne W. Oliver, Executive Director, Patients for Fair Compensation Originally published in Atlanta Journal Constitution, May 10, 2013 For years now, we have held on to the hope that health information technology (health IT) solutions would translate into better health outcomes. We have indeed seen signs that physicians and hospitals which deploy health IT …
Mar 26
End “defensive medicine” by going to a system like workers’ compensation. By Wayne W. Oliver A version of this article appeared March 20, 2013, on page A13 in the U.S. edition of The Wall Street Journal, with the headline: Kicking the Malpractice Tort Out of Court. http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424127887323869604578366770324716616.html March 23 marks the third anniversary of the …
Jan 15
by Wayne Oliver – Healthcare Consultant Originally published by the Atlanta Journal Constitution on January 4, 2013 As we ring in the New Year, many features of the Accountable Care Act (ObamaCare) will begin to take shape. State Benefit (Insurance) Exchanges will begin to unfold. The Medicare and Medicaid Innovation Center within HHS will continue …
Dec 05
The American healthcare system … isn’t. It isn’t a “system.” Patients have multiple providers. These providers rarely interact. The payment system operates in silos. And patient care isn’t coordinated. This disjointed system is not a new challenge. In 1965, the federal government created Medicare, a program which provides coverage for certain services. Medicare Part A …
Oct 05
by Wayne Oliver – Vice President at RxAlly Originally published in the Atlanta Journal Constitution on October 5, 2012 http://blogs.ajc.com/health-flock/2012/10/05/did-you-brush-your-teeth/ As a child, I can’t tell you how many times I heard that question. As a parent, I can’t tell you how many times I’ve asked that question. Over the years, dentists have done a fantastic …
Sep 05
by Wayne Oliver – Vice President at RxAlly. Orginally posted in Atlanta Journal Constitution at 12:20 pm September 5, 2012, Regardless of what has happened in the past or what will happen in the future to the Affordable Care Act, also known as “ObamaCare,” there has been a general recognition that we need to create …
Aug 01
by Wayne Oliver, Vice President of Pharmacy Advocacy & Governmental Relations at RxAlly Originally published in the Atlanta Journal Constitution on August 1, 2012 Over the past several years, the health care system has been attempting to define and create a “patient-centered model of care.” Most health policy experts, much less health care professionals, can’t …
Jul 05
by Wayne W. Oliver – Healthcare Consultant Originally published in the Atlanta Journal Constitution on July 4, 2012 The fate of ObamaCare now moves from the legal and constitutional stage back to the political arena. As most Americans know by now, Chief Justice John Roberts joined with the more liberal members of the Supreme Court …
Jun 06
by Wayne Oliver – Healthcare Consultant Originally published in the Atlanta Journal Constitution on June 6, 2012 Legal experts and political pundits are filling the airwaves and newsprint with their thoughts on what will happen to federal health reform (ObamaCare) when the US Supreme Court rules later this month (NFIB v Sebelius). What will happen …
May 23
by Newt Gingrich and Wayne Oliver Originally published in the Philadelphia Inquirer on April 07, 2009 Civil-justice reform, also known as tort reform, has often been viewed as a battle between the health-care community (physicians and hospitals) and personal-injury lawyers. However, there is another side to tort reform that personal-injury lawyers don’t want to talk …
May 23
by Wayne W. Oliver, Vice President, Center for Health Transformation Originally published by the Atlanta Journal Constitution on November 4, 2011 At the Center for Health Transformation, we are working hard to create a 21st Century Intelligent Health System that can save lives and saves money for all Americans. However, it seems like every time …
May 23
by Wayne W. Oliver, Vice President, Center for Health Transformation Originally published by the Atlanta Journal Constitution on April 23, 2009 All Americans want health care coverage. All Americans like choice. Americans who like their current health insurance coverage should be able to keep it. Those without coverage should have the freedom to choose the …
May 23
by Newt Gingrich, Andrew C. von Eschenbach, MD and Wayne Oliver Originally published by The Hill on February 11, 2011 President Obama in his State of the Union speech said he wants to stimulate the economy by spending billions of dollars for research and development and create a new federal agency called the National Center for Advancing …
May 23
by Newt Gingrich and Wayne Oliver Originally published in Forbes.com on April 19, 2011 From coffee shops to bingo halls and wherever seniors gather throughout America, the talk these days is about modern science and how those who have been in pain for years now have routine knee or hip replacements. Medical devices too such as pacemakers …
May 22
by Wayne Oliver, Vice President, Center for Health Transformation Originally published in the Atlanta Journal Constitution on September 8, 2011 They say, “Perception is reality.” If that is the case, the American Medical Association (AMA) is in serious trouble. In a recent survey of physicians conducted by the Atlanta-based physician recruitment firm Jackson & Coker, …
May 22
by Newt Gingrich and Wayne Oliver Originally published by Human Events on February 23, 2010 CT scans. Blood tests. Ultrasounds. Cesarean sections. In many instances, these examples of diagnostic tools and procedures are vital to treat a patient. However, physicians say that too often these tests and procedures are ordered unnecessarily and drive up the …
May 22
By Newt Gingrich and Wayne Oliver Originally published in the Chicago Tribune on December 7, 2008 Efforts to bring sanity to the civil justice system in Illinois are under serious attack. In 2005, the Illinois legislature enacted a progressive law aimed at creating a balance in medical malpractice claims. The law created a cap ($500,000 …
May 22
by Newt Gingrich and Wayne Oliver Originally published in The Wichita Eagle on September 19, 2009 In President Obama’s health care speech to Congress last week, he offered a fig leaf to doctors by pledging to consider civil justice reform. He directed Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius to look at creating “demonstration projects …
May 22
by Wayne W. Oliver, Vice President, Center for Health Transformation Originally published in the Atlanta Journal Constitution on March 7, 2012 Whether it is a patient centered medical home (PCMH) or an accountable care organization (ACO), we have all seen or read accounts on how we should change health and healthcare in the United States. And, …
May 22
by Wayne W. Oliver, Vice President, Center for Health Transormation Originally published in the Atlanta Journal Constitution on April 5, 2012 Last month, ObamaCare had its day (or days) in court. The case … NFIB, et.al. vs. Kathleen Sebelius, et.al. will be the most celebrated Supreme Court cases in modern history. The Supreme Court heard six …
May 22
by Wayne W. Oliver, Vice President, Center for Health Transformation Originally published by the Atlanta Journal Constitution on October 5, 2011 Since its passage, President Obama’s federal health reform has resulted in a series of unintended consequences. Just last week, the Kaiser Family Foundation released a study which indicates that ObamaCare has caused annual family health …
May 22
by Wayne Oliver, Vice President, Center for Health Transformation Orginally published by the Atlanta Journal Constitution on January 7, 2012 Happy New Year! As we welcome in 2012, it is a year which will likely be full of change. Later this year, we should have a historic decision about the two questions facing the Supreme Court …
May 15
by Wayne Oliver – Vice President, Center for Health Transformation Originally published by AJC on May 18, 2011 We’ve all seen news reports of escalating healthcare costs and likely felt the implications of those spiraling expenses. Employers are shifting more costs to employees. Many smaller companies are scaling back health coverage or dropping benefits entirely. …