sponsored content
The 32BJ Health Fund held its fall meeting on Thursday to address the challenge of rising hospital prices and unveiled data-backed solutions endorsed by legislators and national policy experts.
Entitled “Hospital Pricing: Policy and Practice,” the event included Kyle Bragg, president of 32BJ SEIU Union, Cora Opsar, director of 32BJ Health Fund, and founder and co-founder of Health Rosetta. Leader Dave Chase joined as a key speaker. , nonprofit leaders, policy experts and lawmakers.
32BJ Health Fund is a multi-employer fund serving more than 200,000 members and their families, jointly run by both the union and employers representing more than 5,000 employers who contribute to the fund. I’m here. With members in more than 11 different states, the Health Fund serves essential workers, including facility maintenance workers, security guards, window cleaners, building engineers, school and food service workers, and most recently, airport workers. represent the needs of 32BJ Seiu Union.
“We take the foundation seriously as our responsibility to ensure that our members receive high-quality benefits at affordable prices,” said Opsahl. “We have no premium sharing or deductibles for in-network care, which means 100% of health insurance is paid for by your employer. We believe it is the responsibility of the Health Fund to ensure that
Emphasizing the disastrous impact of rising hospital prices, Opsar said hospital services have grown more than 80% since 2009, compared with drug prices, which rose just under 30%. “Healthcare has risen from 17% to 37% of total compensation since 2004. During the same period, wages have risen by 54%, while health care costs have risen by a whopping 230%. Equivalent to that, over the last 10 years, if health care costs had increased at the same rate as inflation, our members’ annual wages could have increased by $5,000,” Opsahl said.
To increase hospital accountability and combat uncontrolled pricing, Opsahl is using new data collection tools such as RAND, NASHP and Turquoise to highlight wasteful hospital spending practices and reduce potential We suggest identifying significant savings.
“Data is at the heart of what we do. We receive all billing data and use that data to determine benefits and plan design. The cost of funding for redesigning plans, and the basis for where we’re going in the future,” she said.
Opsahl further emphasized the importance of state and local government intervention to systematically address high hospital prices and hospital behavior.
Chase, who delivered the keynote, highlighted examples of successful hospital pricing interventions in states such as Florida, Alaska and Montana to underscore the re-establishment of “health sovereignty” among communities.
“It is very clear. There is a better way. It’s a matter of will, but absolutely doable,” said Chase. “The first part of that is mindset, and the second step is optimizing planning and structure.”
Chase emphasized the importance of organizing accurate data and navigating federal regulatory frameworks such as ERISA to identify hidden costs and inefficiencies.
“We found that over 95% of factory owners, employers and unions have never hired an ERISA lawyer, the regulatory framework. So the worst outcome would be a 20% absolute cut in spending, we’re going to wipe out those contracts and the abuse that’s pushing those contractors over is not acceptable in other areas. you won’t be able to
While the COVID-19 pandemic has led to a surge in demand for increased hospitalizations and a lack of available medical resources in some communities, making it worse than others, Chase said: , argued to change the conventional view of traditional hospitalization by opting for open source hospitalization.
“I ask that all hospitalizations be viewed as failures. , we need radical transparency and opportunities for legislation. [is progress] Even when people outsource their care, current norms prevent a lot of things,” Chase says.
Among conference attendees at 32BJ’s Manhattan headquarters, district state senator Jessica Ramos, who includes 32BJ members, pointed out flaws in hospital pricing.
“This room is filled with national policy experts and people who really help legislators do their best to overhaul a system that isn’t working,” she said. “We hope to arrive at a solution-oriented strategy that will help keep our work informed as legislators.”
State Senator Gustavo Rivera, chairman of the Health Commission, was also present and proposed a move to a single payment system to address rising hospital prices and overall healthcare costs. “Pushing forward with a single payment system would actually help solve many, if not all, of the problems we are talking about. Because it was insurance, and that’s something we certainly have to talk about as well.”
Congress legislators appeared poised to address predatory hospital pricing. New York City Councilwoman Julie Menin said she, along with City Councilwoman Lynn Shulman, have introduced a new legislative package that will lead to the creation of the Hospital Accountability Office.
” [office of hospital accountability] Hospitals would have to disclose prices, there would be no comparison tables, there would be a transparency rating for these hospitals, there would be a reporting mechanism for state attorneys general, and the attorney general would be able to take enforcement action. said Menin.
New York City spends nearly $9.5 billion on health care, or 10% of the city’s $1 billion budget, and Menin argues that current spending practices are unsustainable.
“If you think about any other industry, it’s hard to imagine people getting any pricing information or sending patients to hospitals with absolutely no information about what they’re being billed for when they’re most vulnerable. is unconscionable. This legislative package ends that practice.”
