McCain Outlines Plan to Cut Medical Costs

(CBS)

From CBS News' Andante Higgins:


John McCain visited Lehigh Valley Hospital in Allentown, Pennsylvania, today, where doctors and nurses showed him how they've used technological advances to deliver a higher quality of care while bringing costs down.

McCain heard stories from a cancer survivor and woman whose difficult pregnancy was successfully treated by specialists here. On a stage filled with electronic equipment including displaying patient's records, x-rays and monitoring devices, doctors explained to McCain how technology has helped their patients and provided more time for nurses to spend with families.

Lehigh Valley Hospital puts all records online, including x-rays, which become available to everyone in the hospital, saving time and increasing accuracy. The hospital also uses teleconferencing and other technology to monitor patients and deliver services to people who can't travel to their facility. With this equipment, the hospital can have three doctors monitoring up to 140 patients. Hospital representatives said these tools have decreased their errors by 80 percent, as well as a significant decrease in costs.

John McCain's healthcare proposal pushes innovation and technology like this, citing online records, electronic x-rays, and other technologies that can increase efficiency. "The ideas is that quality will be improved while costs are decreased," McCain said. "We can make tremendous improvements in chronic disease by simply documenting and disseminating information on the best practices." He said coordinated care can also lower costs.

McCain's plan also strives for medical malpractice reform. "I don't have to ask any physician in this room exactly how many procedures or tests that may not be absolutely necessary that are administered to patients that are good to know the results but perhaps the primary reason is the fear for concern about finding themselves in court," he said. "I think clinical guidelines are very, very important. And I believe that any physician who could prove to anybody's satisfaction that they adhere to those guidelines, then they should have some protection from frivolous lawsuits."

McCain also spoke on what he would do to fund drug and alcohol programs. He said there is a range of ways to address it, from stopping drugs from coming into the country, to education and creating jobs so people don't feel the desperation that leads them to the use of drugs. "I would do everything in my power to address the issue of methamphetamines, which is a serious problem in America," he said. "I don't think that there is really one answer but it does come back to giving Americans hope and optimism that they will inherit a better country."

[mattcat25]

Online records, electronic x-rays, and other technologies are all good, given that one has medical insurance coverage. If you can%u2019t afford to walk into the door of a hospital or clinic, all the technology in the world will not help you.

[b-easy63]

So now HRC does not have to testify in the campaign fraud case against Bill that also implicates her--until AFTER the November elections? So says the judge who appears to not want the story about Hillary and this fraud to taint her bid for the Presidency. But why not? We don''''''''t need another Clinton impeachment when we find out what a lying fraud who stole money that she really is (they''''''''ve got VIDEO and the tape of her voice --Hilterly supporters!!)

Is this like Rezko? Nope--Rezko involved Obama''''''''s association with a questionable person. This involved HRC and Bill''''''''s questionable actions (and potentially illegal actions) with a questionable person. Big difference.

Obama''''''''s could harm his campaign, Hillary''''''''s could land her before a Grand jury and like DeLay--facing jail time now the judge steps in and says everyone EXCEPT Hillary, can testify now-but Hillary gets to wait until after the election is over--wonder why? The judge also told one of the lawyers of Hillary/Bill to say Hi to a buddy of his who worked for that firm. Nice and cosy eh?

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