The URAC Report

“Only two things in life are certain – death and taxes.” I had a high school teacher who liked to pull out this famous quote from Benjamin Franklin every time he got an unanswerable question from some wisenheimer.

As I sat last week poring over hundreds of pages of health plan brochures trying to sort out the best option for my family, I’m reminded of this quote and can’t help but wonder if there is a third certainty in life that Mr. Franklin missed – health insurance is about as clear as dishwater.

With nearly two-thirds of Americans under the age of 65 covered by private insurance, no innovation in health care delivery can succeed without the support of health plans and employers. That’s why it’s not enough for the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) to get behind the value-based reimbursement model; private payers need to get on board as well. 

“To effect change in health care, you can’t do anything without employers and commercial insurers,” said Aaron Turner-Phifer, URAC’s director of government relations. “To have an actual long-term, coherent, seamless health care strategy, you need commercial insurers, private insurers and private employers working hand-in-hand with the things government is trying to do.”