Do you have an idea for how to fix our broken health care system? Few people think that we’ve got a perfect system at the moment, and just about everybody has some sort of thoughts about how we could make it better. ChangeNow4Health is a program set up in partnership between Humana, Availity, Business Health Care Group, and Dr. Jacque Sokolov, in an effort to create a nationwide brainstorm of ideas to change our health care system. It’s good to see a major health insurance carrier that we represent here in Colorado is spearheading this quest for ideas and change. In the best interests of the American public, the health insurance industry will need to be adaptable over the next several years. Without some major changes to the whole health care system, there is no sign that health insurance premiums will do anything but rise (faster than inflation), which will present an ever-increasing burden to the American people – especially as we’re already in troubled economic times. A flexible health insurance industry will be part of the solution – willing to embrace changes and work with the rest of the health care system to lower costs and increase access to health care. So I’m pleased to see Humana at the forefront of ChangeNow4Health.
So what are your ideas? You can submit them at www.ChangeNow4Health.com and you could win $10,000. Ideas can be submitted in four categories – healthcare decision-making for consumers; simplifying the business of healthcare, prevention of illness and maintenance of health; and general innovations in healthcare. A panel of health care industry experts will consider all entries, and online voting will also be used to determine the best ideas. The top 20 entries will be published in an e-book, and up to three finalists will win up to $10,000. So if you’ve ever been involved in a discussion about health care and said “this is what we need to do…” submit your ideas to ChangeNow4Health. Your ideas might become part of a new health care system for America, and who knows… you might just win some cash in the process.