BACK
BACK ON
BACK ON THIS SUNDAY MORNING WITH DR.
TTHAT.
TTHAT. HE
TTHAT. HE IS A CANDIDATE FOR U.S. SENATE ON THE REPUBLICAN SIDE
JOHN.
>> WILL MOVE ON FROM
CORONOVIRUS.
BUT LET'S STAY ON THE TOPIC OF
HEALTH CARE.
SURE.
HERE'S WHAT I WANT TO ASK YOU.
DEMOCRATS, REPUBLICANS WE CAN'T
SEEM TO GET UNIFICATION IN
TERMS PHILOSOPHICALLY WHAT
SHOULD WE BE DOING ABOUT ACCESS
TO HEALTH CARE DEMOCRATS WHEN
OBAMA WAS IN THE WHITE HOUSE WE
HAD ONE LINE THAT WAS GOING NOW
PRESIDENT TRUMP IS GOING A
DIFFERENT LINE NOT SO CRAZY
ABOUT OBAMACARE.
WHERE ARE YOU?
>> WELL, HERE'S WHAT I'LL TELL
YOU, JOHN.
I THINK THAT THE ESTABLISHMENT
REPUBLICANS IN WASHINGTON HAVE
FAILED US.
NOW I THINK OBAMACARE IS A
DISASTER AND THEY PROMISE, YOU
KNOW, IF YOU WIN THE HOUSE WILL
REPEAL THIS.
IF WE WIN, THE SENATE WILL
REPEAL THIS AND YOU KNOW, IT
NEVER HAPPENED AND THAT'S
BECAUSE NO ONE THEY COULDN'T
GET IT DONE.
NUMBER TWO, WE DIDN'T HAVE A
PLAN.
AND I'VE GOT A PLAN.
LOOK, FIRST OF ALL, WHERE I
STAND ON THIS, I THINK THAT
OBAMACARE IS THE BIGGEST
FAILURE IN HEALTH CARE IN THE
HISTORY OF OUR NATION.
AND IT SHOWS YOU THE FAILURE OF
GOVERNMENT WHEN GOVERNMENT
BETWEEN A PATIENT, THEIR DOCTOR
.
I'VE SEEN THIS AS A PHYSICIAN.
I'VE SEEN IT AS A PATIENT.
AND WHEN GOVERNMENT GETS IN THE
INSURANCE MARKET.
NOW I'M MAD AT SOMEONE IN
SEVERE COUNTY.
ALL RIGHT.
THEY WERE PAYING TWENTY FOUR
THOUSAND DOLLARS A YEAR FOR
HEALTH INSURANCE WITH A TEN
THOUSAND DOLLAR DEDUCTIBLE AND
I ASK YOU IS THAT HEALTH
INSURANCE IS THAT MEANINGFUL?
I DON'T THINK IT IS.
SO I HAVE A WAY OUT OF THIS.
I HAVE A PLAN.
I CREATED A NONPROFIT CALLED
HEALTHY TENNESSEEE.
I'VE BEEN TRAVELING THE STATE
FOR ABOUT NINE YEARS NOW
PROVIDING WE'VE BEEN IN ALMOST
ALL 95 COUNTIES.
THERE ARE THREE WAYS OUT OF
THIS.
THE FIRST ONE IS PRICING
TRANSPARENCY.
WE NEED TO OPEN UP WHAT WE'RE
DOING TO THE FREE MARKET IN
HEALTH CARE.
I ALWAYS SAY THERE ARE THREE PS
ALL RIGHT.
THERE'S THE PAYER, THE PATIENT
,THE PROVIDER.
OKAY.
AND RELATIONSHIP YOU HAVE THOSE
THREE PEOPLE.
AND NONE OF THOSE THREE PEOPLE
KNOW WHAT WE'RE PAYING OR WHAT
WE'RE CHARGING.
AND SO THAT'S GOT TO CHANGE.
PRICING TRANSPARENCY.
THE SECOND THING IS AN
INDIVIDUAL INSURANCE MARKET.
SO RIGHT NOW WE ARE VERY TIED
TO EMPLOYER BASED HEALTH
INSURANCE.
SO WE HAVE THE WALMART AND THE
HOME DEPOTS AND THE BEST BUYS
OF RIGHT AND THEY'RE PROVIDING
HEALTH INSURANCE.
BUT WHAT THAT DOES IS THAT
ESSENTIALLY LOCKS IN ABOUT 10
HEALTH INSURANCE COMPANIES
UNITED HUMANA BLUE CROSS.
RIGHT.
AND THEN THEY GET A LOCK ON THE
MARKET.
WHAT I THINK WE NEED TO DO IS
SAY OK, LARGE EMPLOYER GIVE
YOUR EMPLOYEE MORE OPTIONS.
GIVE THEM THE MONEY BACK.
LET THEM GO TO INDIVIDUAL
INSURANCE MARKET WHERE THEY CAN
BUY THE PRODUCTS THAT THEY WANT
.
WE NEED TO GET RID OF THE 10
ESSENTIAL HEALTH BENEFITS IN
OBAMACARE.
THESE FOLKS CAN GO.
THEY CAN.
THEY CAN BUY WHATEVER PRODUCT
THEY WANT.
WE COMPETE ACROSS STATE LINES.
WE MAKE IT TAX DEDUCTIBLE FOR
INDIVIDUALS AND SMALL
BUSINESSES WHICH IS CURRENTLY
NOT THE CASE.
AND I REALLY BELIEVE YOU'LL
FLOOD THE MARKET WITH NEW
PRODUCTS, WITH NEW COMPANIES
THAT WANT TO PROVIDE HEALTH
INSURANCE.
IT'LL BE CHEAPER.
IT'LL BE BETTER.
BUT HERE'S THE THIRD PART AND
THIS IS WHAT NONE OF THE CAREER
POLITICIANS.
>> THEY'RE NOT GOING TO SHARE
THIS WITH YOU.
THEY'RE NOT GOING TO TELL YOU
THIS IN OUR COUNTRY RIGHT NOW.
WE HAVE THIS ALL WRONG.
WE'RE NOT PAYING FOR PREVENTION
.
WE PAY TO TREAT DISEASE.
SO IF YOU HAVE DIABETES, JOHN,
YOU COME TO MY HOSPITAL.
YOU KNOW WHAT?
I'M GOING TO TAKE CARE OF YOU.
I'M ALL ABOUT YOU BECAUSE YOU
HAVE DIABETES.
WE'RE GREAT AT ACUTE CARE.
EXACTLY.
BUT IF YOU'RE PRE DIABETIC,
NOBODY CARES.
THINK ABOUT THIS.
WE COULD SPEND ONE DOLLAR ON
THE FRONT END TO EDUCATE YOU
AND TALK TO YOU ABOUT YOUR PRE
DIABETES.
BUT ON THE BACK END WE COULD
SAVE 10 DOGS BUT WE'RE NOT
DOING THAT.
AND THAT'S BECAUSE WE TALK
ABOUT DISEASE AND NOT
PREVENTION.
AND I'VE RUN A NONPROFIT THAT
DOES JUST THIS GETTING ON THE
PREVENTATIVE SIDE.
BUT THAT'S WHAT WE NEED IN
AMERICA.
WE HAVE TO CHANGE THE WAY THAT
WE'RE PAYING DOCTORS.
IT'S SO IMPORTANT.
>> HOW DO WE START THAT
TENNESSEEE THIS STATE
CONTINUALLY RANKS AT THE BOTTOM
OF HEALTHY STATES.
AND WE HAVE HEARD THIS FROM OUR
LEADERSHIP ACROSS PARTY LINES
FOR YEARS NOW THAT WE NEED TO
FOCUS ON PREVENTION.
IS THERE SOMETHING THAT YOU
WOULD SUGGEST THE STATE SHOULD
BE DOING THAT IT'S NOT?
>> YES.
SO LOOK, MY DAD WAS A PRIMARY
CARE DOCTOR, ALL COUNTRY DOCTOR
,COFFEE COUNTY, TENNESSEE AND
HE USED TO SPEND SO MUCH TIME
WITH HIS PATIENTS, YOU KNOW,
YELLING AT THEM, EDUCATING THEM
WHEN THEY WERE SMOKING OR YOU
KNOW, WHEN THEY WERE GETTING
GETTING TOO BIG OR GETTING
OBESE.
>> AND I JUST THINK WE HAVE TO
EDUCATE FOLKS NOW THAT
EDUCATION, JOHN, MAY BE
DIFFERENT FOR YOU THAN IT IS
FOR ME.
IT'S A DIFFERENT WAY OF
REACHING SOMEBODY.
HE MY FATHER ALWAYS USED TO
TELL ME, YOU KNOW, SON, PEOPLE
DON'T CARE WHAT YOU KNOW UNTIL
THEY KNOW THAT YOU CARE.
AND SO WHAT WE HAVE TO DO IS IS
MEANINGFUL EDUCATION AND
REACHING PEOPLE.
BUT WHAT THAT TAKES IS TIME AND
YOU CAN'T DO THAT WHEN YOU HAVE
AN ENCOUNTER WITH A PATIENT FOR
15 MINUTES.
>> BUT IF WE'RE PAYING DOCTORS
AND WE'RE PAYING HEALTH CARE
PROVIDERS FOR VALUE BASED CARE
,I THINK THIS WILL CHANGE AND
IT WILL INCENTIVIZE DOCTORS AN
ADVANCED PRACTICE NURSES AND
ALL OF OUR HEALTH CARE
PROVIDERS TO DO MORE OF WHAT
I'M TALKING ABOUT.
NOW THE OTHER THING IS IS THAT
THAT LEADS INTO THIS OUR
MEDICAID SYSTEM.
>> ALL RIGHT.
I'M TAKING CARE OF MEDICAID
PATIENTS AS A TRAUMA SURGEON,
NOT TAKING CARE OF THEM THROUGH
MY WORK AND HEALTHY TENNESSEEE
.
I'M TELLING YOU THAT MEDICAID
IS A BROKEN SYSTEM.
I MEAN PEOPLE WOULD COME INTO
MY HELTH FARES ACROSS THE STATE
ARE HELTH FARES EYT.
I'M TELLING YOU THAT FOLKS ARE
SICKER THAN THE UNINSURED
POPULATION.
THEY DON'T KNOW WHO THEIR
PRIMARY CARE DOCTOR IS.
THEIR BLOOD PRESSURES ARE OUT
OF CONTROL.
DIABETES IS NOT MANAGED.
AND THAT'S BECAUSE AGAIN WE'RE
PAYING TO TREAT DISEASE, NOT
PROMOTE WELLNESS.
SO I SUPPORT THE GOVERNOR'S
PLAN TO CREATE A BLOCK GRANT
THAT FURTHER TAYLOR'S MEDICAID
TO OUR STATE AND THE OTHER
THING IS IS WE'RE TRYING A ONE
SIZE FITS ALL PLAN.
RIGHT.
SO WHAT WORKS, YOU KNOW, IN
KNOXCOUNTY MAY NOT WORK IN
SULLIVAN COUNTY OR MAY NOT WORK
IN SHELBY COUNTY AND THAT BLOCK
GRANT SYSTEM ALLOWS YOU TO BE
MORE FLEXIBLE AND DO DIFFERENT
THINGS WITHOUT THE LARGE HAND
OF THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT
VAULT.
BUT THE BOTTOM LINE TO ALL OF
THIS IS WE GOT TO START
THINKING ABOUT PREVENTION AND
GETTING ON THE FRONT SIDE OF
THIS.
ONE MORE HEALTH CARE QUESTION
AND THEN MAYBE WE CAN MOVE ON
IF WE WANT TO.
AS YOU MAY BE WHERE WE HAVE
SOME RURAL HOSPITALS.
YES, TENNESSEEE IN THAT ARE
HURTING SIGNIFICANTLY.
>> WHAT WOULD SENATOR LIKE YOU
DO TO HELP IF YOU SEE A ROLE
FOR THE SENATE TO PLAY IN THAT?
>> I DO.
SO LOOK, HERE IS THE FALSEHOOD
THAT PEOPLE ARE GOING TO SHARE
WITH YOU.
THEY'RE GOING TO SAY OH IF WE
JUST EXPANDED OBAMACARE,
EXPANDED MEDICAID, NONE OF THIS
WOULD HAPPEN.
ALL THESE HOSPITALS ACROSS
WORLD TENNESSEEE WOULD BE OPEN
.
RURAL HOSPITALS ARE NEAR AND
DEAR TO ME.
MY FATHER AND MOTHER WORKED AND
DEVELOPED A RURAL HOSPITAL IN
COFFEE COUNTY, TENNESSEE.
IT'S SOMETHING THAT I'M VERY
PASSIONATE ABOUT.
BUT LOOK, WE CAN'T JUST KEEP
THROWING MONEY AT THIS PROBLEM
.
WE NEED TO CHANGE IT.
HERE'S A COUPLE OF THINGS THAT
I WOULD DO.
FIRST OF ALL, THE FEDERAL
GOVERNMENT HAS MEDICARE AND
MEDICARE PAYS SOMETHING CALLED
A MEDICARE WAGE INDEX.
THE MWD.
AND WHAT THAT MEANS IS AS THEY
WAIT THE PAYMENTS.
SO LET'S SAY YOU'RE A DOCTOR IN
SAN FRANCISCO FOR DOING THE
SAME THING THAT A DOCTOR
DOESN'T PERRY COUNTY THEY'RE
GOING TO PAY YOU ABOUT 1 ONE
POINT FIVE TIMES MORE.
THAT'S NOT RIGHT.
I THINK THAT WE NEED TO TO TURN
THAT AROUND AND WE NEED TO
INCENTIVIZE RURAL DOCTORS AND
RURAL PROVIDERS AND PAY THEM
MORE.
SO IF I'M YOUR NEXT SENATOR,
THAT'S WHAT I'M DOING.
I'M SAYING ALL RIGHT, YOU KNOW
,MEDICARE, MEDICAID, CNS,
LET'S WORK TOGETHER TO
INCENTIVIZE RURAL MEDICINE.
THE SECOND THING I WOULD TELL
YOU IS THIS YOU KNOW, OBAMACARE
BASICALLY JUST KILLED PRIVATELY
OWNED HOSPITALS WOULDN'T ALLOW
THEM TO EXPAND SERVICE LINES.
SO LET'S SAY YOU'RE A HOSPITAL
LIKE THE ONE WE HAD AND COFFEE
COUNTY.
ARE YOU?
>> YOU CAN TREAT URINARY TRACT
INFECTIONS.
YOU CAN TREAT FOLKS WHO ARE
HAVING A HEART ATTACK BUT YOU
CAN'T DO SOME OF THE OTHER
STUFF LIKE CARDIAC CATH OR
TOTAL KNEE REPLACEMENTS, ET
CETERA.
BECAUSE THEY COULDN'T EXPAND
THEIR SERVICE LINES UNDER
OBAMACARE.
THAT'S WHY A LOT OF THESE RURAL
HOSPITALS ARE FAILING.
I WOULD ALLOW THESE HOSPITALS
TO DEVELOP.
I WOULD GET RID OF THESE
CERTIFICATES OF NEED.
I THINK THAT'S WRONG.
I THINK THAT THAT PUTS A LOT OF
THESE HOSPITALS IN JEOPARDY.
THEY CAN'T EXPAND.
THEY CAN'T BUILD.
THAT'S PRETTY DRAMATIC.
YEAH.
YEAH.
YEAH. YEAH. DR. WBIR,