Believing the HCA plan risks patient safety and access to quality care, the WA/ACEP and its partners have proposed an alternative plan and are lobbying the state Legislature to consider it.
“The physician-sponsored plan addresses the root of the problem—lack of access and reasons for inappropriate utilization,” said Doug Myers, M.D., president of the Washington State Medical Association (WSMA). “We want patients to go to the right place for the appropriate care, whether that be a primary care physician, urgent care center, or emergency room. The state plan does nothing to address this root problem, rather it arbitrarily says it won’t pay for certain services in the emergency room even though the presenting symptoms are consistent with true emergencies. This short-sightedness puts patients at risk.”
The physician-developed plan works toward the goal of real cost savings for the state and encompasses an effort to coordinate and integrate medical care and wellness within each community. It would save money by:
- Reducing ED visits for narcotic-seeking behavior
- Reducing “unnecessary” ED visits by collaborative use of next-day or same-day visits to primary care and improving access to care
- Creating a “Generics First” initiative spearheaded by physicians to voluntarily develop a statewide drug formulary
- Instituting an extensive case management program to reduce inappropriate ED utilization by frequent users
- Tracking emergency room visits to reduce ED shopping
Filed under: Uncategorized
