Reduce the Costs of Health Care Administration
Where the Candidates Stand
ACP believes that both governmental and non-governmental payers must work to reduce the costs of health care administration and the attendant burdens they place on patients and their physicians.
Among several means for improving efficiency is the use of electronic technology that will allow automating payment and health insurance transactions without reliance on paper processing. Automated point of care transactions are possible using smart card technology (similar to ATM cards) that will automatically verify the individual’s coverage status, benefits, required co-pays and co-insurance, and bill the appropriate payer for care rendered and the individual for their required cost-sharing on a debit basis.
The high costs of medical liability premiums are driving many doctors out of certain specialties and leading to increased costs related to “defensive medicine.” There are many casualties of America’s medical liability crisis – physicians and patients alike, particularly patients who require medical services from high-risk specialists, including emergency physicians, general surgeons, neurosurgeons, obstetricians/gynecologists, orthopedic surgeons and thoracic surgeons. ACP supports the need for a reasonable cap on non-economic damages as the cornerstone of any meaningful medical liability reform proposal.
From ACP’s Position Paper, Achieving a High Performance Health Care System with Universal Access.
Where the Candidates Stand
Senator Hillary Clinton (D-NY)
ACP Key Benchmarks for Reform
Reduce the costs of health care administration and the attendant burdens they place on patients and their physicians, including creating uniform billing and credentialing systems across all payers.
Establish a reasonable cap on non-economic damages as the cornerstone of any meaningful medical liability reform proposal.
The Candidate’s Stand
Clinton proposes requiring all providers participating in federal programs to adopt paperless information technology.
Clinton also proposes instituting a medical malpractice reform model that provides liability protections for physicians who disclose medical errors to patients and who offer to negotiate fair compensation. Clinton does not support a cap on non-economic damages.
For more information visit the Clinton website.
Senator John McCain (R-AZ)
ACP Key Benchmarks for Reform
Reduce the costs of health care administration and the attendant burdens they place on patients and their physicians, including creating uniform billing and credentialing systems across all payers.
Establish a reasonable cap on non-economic damages as the cornerstone of any meaningful medical liability reform proposal.
The Candidate’s Stand
McCain calls for the passage of medical liability reforms in order to eliminate “frivolous” lawsuits and excessive damage awards by establishing a “safe harbor” for physicians that adhere to patient safety protocols and follow clinical guidelines. McCain supports limiting excessive damage rewards.
For more information visit the McCain website.
Senator Barack Obama (D-IL)
ACP Key Benchmarks for Reform
Reduce the costs of health care administration and the attendant burdens they place on patients and their physicians, including creating uniform billing and credentialing systems across all payers.
Establish a reasonable cap on non-economic damages as the cornerstone of any meaningful medical liability reform proposal.
The Candidate’s Stand
Obama proposes requiring health plans to publicly disclose the percentage of premiums used to finance patient care versus administrative costs.
Obama’s proposal seeks to strengthen antitrust laws to prevent insurers from overcharging physicians for malpractice insurance. He does not support a cap on non-economic damages.
For more information visit the Obama website.
Policy Highlights
Establishing Federal Guidelines Protecting Against Genetic Discrimination![[PDF]](/graphics/new/pdf.gif)
- March 2008
Achieving a High Performance Health Care System with Universal Access: What the USA Can Learn from Other Countries, at www.annals.org. December, 2007
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