Senator John Marty

There are other systems, and they're struggling as an overall system, they say, and I'll take them at their word for it. I would do some things different than they do. But they shut this hospital down. And I am thinking, how does that expand healthcare coverage? And they say, oh, we're doing this and this instead, and this will be much better.

There are other systems, and they're struggling as an overall system, they say, and I'll take them at their word for it. I would do some things different than they do. But they shut this hospital down. And I am thinking, how does that expand healthcare coverage? And they say, oh, we're doing this and this instead, and this will be much better.

Well, I'll say that some of the things they're doing are good things to be doing, but is it better overall? Do we really... Can we get by with less inpatient mental health and substance use beds? Not necessarily. So what we, why, what I wrote the CEO and the board several times when they were announcing they were closing this down, kind of angry because they shouldn't be doing this.

Well, I'll say that some of the things they're doing are good things to be doing, but is it better overall? Do we really... Can we get by with less inpatient mental health and substance use beds? Not necessarily. So what we, why, what I wrote the CEO and the board several times when they were announcing they were closing this down, kind of angry because they shouldn't be doing this.

And I understand when they say they're losing money on it, but why don't they then tell the state, because the state pays a lot of mental health and substance use costs through our public programs. And why don't you, fight the state and say, look, because we're doing more mental health stuff than other health systems are. And we're not getting paid enough for that.

And I understand when they say they're losing money on it, but why don't they then tell the state, because the state pays a lot of mental health and substance use costs through our public programs. And why don't you, fight the state and say, look, because we're doing more mental health stuff than other health systems are. And we're not getting paid enough for that.

And maybe you pay too much for orthopedic surgery. And why don't you as a state negotiate with us, pay a little more for this and a little less for this. You know, I'm told, and I'm not sure this is accurate, but if I go see my family practice doctor and go to see her about some mental health challenge, some medication or something,

And maybe you pay too much for orthopedic surgery. And why don't you as a state negotiate with us, pay a little more for this and a little less for this. You know, I'm told, and I'm not sure this is accurate, but if I go see my family practice doctor and go to see her about some mental health challenge, some medication or something,

That she's paid more for my visit than if I visit a psychiatrist who is more training and most specialists get paid more. Well, I understand that's the way we bill for mental health and so on, but there's something amiss there. And so using the mental health illustration is we should be paying more for mental health, less for other things.

That she's paid more for my visit than if I visit a psychiatrist who is more training and most specialists get paid more. Well, I understand that's the way we bill for mental health and so on, but there's something amiss there. And so using the mental health illustration is we should be paying more for mental health, less for other things.

Well, OK, that's going to then it's just there's a zero sum game. You're not doing better. But, you know, if the other thing is, if we have a logical system where the health care providers and the health care systems, everybody have fewer costs, administrative, bureaucratic costs, if you cut a third of their costs away.

Well, OK, that's going to then it's just there's a zero sum game. You're not doing better. But, you know, if the other thing is, if we have a logical system where the health care providers and the health care systems, everybody have fewer costs, administrative, bureaucratic costs, if you cut a third of their costs away.

You can cut their compensation overall by 25%, and still they're much better off. So one of the things we have to do is we have to get out a lot of the bureaucracy, and that's why we need the bigger change. The second one I'll mention is the mental health one. There are huge gaps in coverage there, and I think we have to be addressing that.

You can cut their compensation overall by 25%, and still they're much better off. So one of the things we have to do is we have to get out a lot of the bureaucracy, and that's why we need the bigger change. The second one I'll mention is the mental health one. There are huge gaps in coverage there, and I think we have to be addressing that.

And those two, I mean, to me, it's the pricing because we don't have any logical system for negotiating prices. We have all this bureaucracy. And I'm going to relate one third issue to this because it relates to the bureaucracy. And that is, and it's partly the Affordable Care Act to blame for this. but it's been an ongoing thing for 30, 40 years.

And those two, I mean, to me, it's the pricing because we don't have any logical system for negotiating prices. We have all this bureaucracy. And I'm going to relate one third issue to this because it relates to the bureaucracy. And that is, and it's partly the Affordable Care Act to blame for this. but it's been an ongoing thing for 30, 40 years.

And that is, we figure, you know, when they're saying how we're not just trying to save money, we're trying to improve quality, the triple whatever measure they're trying to do. They want to improve quality too. So we're going to measure quality. And we tried the same thing with schools a number of years ago. It was a bad mistake.

And that is, we figure, you know, when they're saying how we're not just trying to save money, we're trying to improve quality, the triple whatever measure they're trying to do. They want to improve quality too. So we're going to measure quality. And we tried the same thing with schools a number of years ago. It was a bad mistake.

Unfortunately, people backed off of it, but we're further into it in healthcare. And that is you try and evaluate teachers, right? And how do you do it? Okay. Each principal goes and evaluates. Each teacher will pay them for their performance, pay for performance, value-based care, pay quality measures. All those things are designed.

Unfortunately, people backed off of it, but we're further into it in healthcare. And that is you try and evaluate teachers, right? And how do you do it? Okay. Each principal goes and evaluates. Each teacher will pay them for their performance, pay for performance, value-based care, pay quality measures. All those things are designed.