For Bill Frist, MD, a surgeon and former Republican senator from Tennessee, the health insurance exchanges built within the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act are something with which both sides of the political aisle should agree.
Dr. Frist, whose father was the founder of Nashville, Tenn.-based Hospital Corporation of America, wrote an op-ed for The Week, extolling the exchanges as "the solution" to help people find better health insurance.
While he does not necessarily favor the individual mandate, Dr. Frist said the exchanges will help people find and compare private insurance that is more affordable. In addition, the states have a lot of flexibility to design their own exchanges, which he admitted are "originally a Republican idea," to meet their specific needs.
"As a doctor, I strongly believe that people without health insurance die sooner. Sure, they can eventually go to an emergency room. But it is often too late," Dr. Frist wrote. "…simply put, state exchanges represent a distinctly American opportunity to improve our local communities and at the same time help our nation avert a major crisis. Let's take the plunge."
Dr. Frist, whose father was the founder of Nashville, Tenn.-based Hospital Corporation of America, wrote an op-ed for The Week, extolling the exchanges as "the solution" to help people find better health insurance.
While he does not necessarily favor the individual mandate, Dr. Frist said the exchanges will help people find and compare private insurance that is more affordable. In addition, the states have a lot of flexibility to design their own exchanges, which he admitted are "originally a Republican idea," to meet their specific needs.
"As a doctor, I strongly believe that people without health insurance die sooner. Sure, they can eventually go to an emergency room. But it is often too late," Dr. Frist wrote. "…simply put, state exchanges represent a distinctly American opportunity to improve our local communities and at the same time help our nation avert a major crisis. Let's take the plunge."
More Articles on Health Insurance Exchanges:
Kentucky to Become 13th State to Set Up Its Own Health Insurance Exchange
PPACA Upheld: 8 Issues Hospitals Should Keep in Mind Moving Forward
Health Insurance Exchange Design Tool Now Available to States