Mercer Island Resident Presents Healthcare Discussion at Island Books Oct. 29

Dr. Fredric Tobis will answer questions about each candidates’ planned healthcare reforms on Oct. 29 at 7 p.m. at Island Books, 3014 78th Ave. S.E., Mercer Island.

Dr. Tobis, a Mercer Island resident, is Washington’s 8th District Healthcare Advisory Committee chair and author of "The Healthcare Crisis: The Urgent Need for Physician Leadership".

The Mercer Island Reporter recently profiled Dr. Tobis earlier this month on his ideas and motivations. Below are Dr. Tobis's “election buzzwords to watch out for” reforming healthcare costs and outcomes:

“Market Forces”

• Both parties like to talk about the market, but healthcare is NOT a commodity. The option of “no care” is not an option.

“Fee-for-service” (as it exists now)

• Does not work because both consumer and provider are spending someone else’s money

“Regulation”

• Increasing regulation is increasing, not decreasing costs. Regulation shifts decisions about healthcare dollars from providers to bureaucrats.

“Old Assumptions”

• Many of our healthcare systems were created decades ago and no longer work. Question “old assumptions” like these:

1. Providing insurance to the uninsured reduces overall healthcare costs
2. The uninsured are the people overusing emergency rooms
3. Medicare will lose $80 billion this year to fraud and abuse
4. Increasing access to Medicaid will help the uninsured

“Cut reimbursement to providers to solve cost issues”

• Reducing reimbursements will reduce availability of care and simply shift costs elsewhere in the system