Premier Opens Health Financial Summit 2010
This morning [Nov 22] Premier Paula Cox Premier opened the 2010 Health Financial Summit. Her full remarks follow below:
Good Morning and Welcome All.
A quality 21st Century healthcare package that is affordable; is a national priority!
Your attendance today at this Health Financing Summit provides an ideal opportunity through dialogue, collaboration and discussion to find ways to enhance our model. Let’s not squander it.
I am so pleased to be here as part of a discussion that I sincerely believe is one of the most important issues facing our community.
Too often though, too much time on this particular topic is spent on the blame game – needy patients; greedy doctors; and fat-cat insurance companies.
Politicians also come in for a fair share of criticism.
Our perceptions become the reality, while the truth may actually lie somewhere in the middle.
And so today I challenge you, rather than choose blame; our charge is to determine what can be done to curb significant costs so that we introduce a viable healthcare system that can be maintained into the foreseeable future.
Rather than choose blame, pose these questions instead, How do we help the elderly and chronically ill to live as full and rewarding a life as possible? How do we provide high-quality healthcare in a sustainable way when healthcare costs are spiraling out of control?
These positions may appear to be incongruous but in essence all this means is that healthcare needs to change – and fast. It needs to become more efficient and more cost effective.
You, who are present today, are the equivalent of key constituencies that provide, deliver, fund and represent our community as the consumers and providers of healthcare services.
I extend a warm and grateful welcome to all of you, as we all have a stake – whether personal or professional – in the future of healthcare in this country.
I know that you come prepared to discuss, and to devise strategies with some tangible outputs, during the “Break Out Sessions”. This will be invaluable so we can provide the good health and good healthcare services are two of the most basic requirements for human beings. However, with the spiraling cost of healthcare, critical decisions must be made on how we continue to offer affordable, adequate health services that meet the needs of our people.
Rising health costs are a dilemma, but let me add, higher taxes are not the solution. Bermudians have a limited tolerance for taxes. So the rising health costs are driving us to some painful choices– cut vital programs, raise taxes or get serious about understanding and correcting the major flaws in our costly, inconsistent and inefficient system.
We have opted to do the latter.
The escalating cost of healthcare is a critical issue.
Healthcare inflation (including prescription drugs, non-prescription drugs and medical supplies) continue to outpace general inflation. Health inflation refers to the health and Personal care sector of the Consumer Price Index(CPI). Over the last couple of years, this has been approximately double the annual CPI average percentage rate. August 2010, the health and personal care Index was at 8.7% whilst the overall rate of inflation was running at 2%.
It is imperative that we prepare for our long-term future by reviewing and strengthening our healthcare system and doing all we can to deflate its rising cost. Let me extend a very warm welcome to our overseas presenters and partners. I wish you a productive conference.
Let’s focus on strategies for solutions. Let’s create a way forward where everyone in our community, individuals, community health partners, Government and the private sector can benefit as we work together to make an affordable, sustainable 21st Century healthcare system that works for all of us.
Thank you.
Read More About
Category: All
