Well-intentioned but misdirected “quality@ and safety regulations and third party imposed credentialing, rating and quality standards drive up operating costs of hospitals, physicians and other health providers, payers and plan sponsors. See e.g., here.
Beyond the proliferation of costly federal and state mandates, private rating, credentialing, rating, certification and other organizations also have proliferated. Private organizations justify their existence by promoting the need for tighter standards than government imposed, creating duplicative and ever heightened standards, then creating a demand for adherence to their self-created requirements through marketing and lobbying.
The number, requirements imposed by these third parties, their measurement and assessments and other associated activities have become a highly profitable industry, which siphons money away from patient care.
Americans should seek the elimination of costs from these activities that don’t meaningfully improve quality thorough critical reevaluation of these requirements and standards and elimination of duplicative or otherwise unjustified standards and requirements.
©2017 Cynthia Marcotte Stamer. Non-exclusive right to republish granted to Solutions Law Press, Inc.™ All other rights reserved.
PROJECT COPE: COALITION ON PATIENT EMPOWERMENT 