Healthcare: Quality vs. Cost

Chief Executive—November 10, 2017

As the ongoing healthcare debate continues and uncertainty arises, Chief Executive reported that HSS sponsored the Chief Executive Healthcare Roundtable, a discussion about employee healthcare value amongst company leaders this past summer.

"Many healthcare providers don’t like the concept of 'value' because they see it as code for 'cheap.' But it’s really about not overspending on procedures and medication that aren’t needed and increasing the quality of care so that correct diagnoses are made the first time," said HSS chief value medical officer Catherine H. MacLean, MD, PhD, who was a panelist.

"If we can treat people in a timely fashion, make the right diagnosis the first time, people can get better sooner and then they can get back to work sooner. We’re never really going to get a real value equation unless we really start to think about both the quality and the cost involved," she added.

Dr. MacLean said there are ways employers can intervene before employees get sick, and therefore lower their ultimate medical expenses. She noted that CEOs could work with wellness programs. "We spend a lot of money on healthcare but not on health and wellness."

Read the full article at chiefexecutive.net. This article appeared in the November/December 2017 print issue.