This content was originally published by the Longmont Observer and is licensed under a Creative Commons license.
LONGMONT, Colo. - Paying for healthcare. These days, just the words make most Americans grimace and groan. The debate surrounding how we pay for healthcare has become a national headache, but it wasn't always this way. Today, the United States has a unique and complicated system for paying hospitals and doctors for the healthcare services they provide. So how did we get here? A new Library program, "From Poultry to Obamacare: A History of How Hospitals and Doctors Get Paid," will answer that question and more on Thursday, May 3, from 7 to 8 pm.
Dr. Bob Marder, a retired healthcare consultant and hospital administrator, traces the history and the reasons behind how our healthcare payment system evolved from free market direct payment in the early 1900s to reliance on various forms of insurance including employee based insurance, private insurance, Medicare, Medicaid, managed care and the Affordable Care Act (i.e. Obamacare). He will also explain the conflicting economic incentives between doctors and hospitals that have been built into these systems that often create confusion for patients. Registration is required. Register online at http://bit.ly/LibPrograms. No email address? Call (303) 651-8472 to register by phone.
This is a news release issued by the Longmont Public Library and is published here as a public service.
