Republican nominee Donald Trump was officially elected president of the United States Tuesday.
The presidential election results were met with mixed reactions in the healthcare industry. Here we highlight six initial responses.
Bea Grause, president of the Healthcare Association of New York State
"As a result of yesterday's election, the healthcare sector in New York will face a significantly different landscape.
In this regard, HANYS has a long history of working with both sides of the aisle and will use that experience in working with the new Trump administration as soon as its transition team is in place.
Our strong partnership with the American Hospital Association and state associations will be critical in protecting hospitals and health systems across New York and the rural, suburban and urban communities they serve. We will work with these key partners to meet head on any challenges to the Affordable Care Act, as well as budgetary pressures on providers, while striving to achieve regulatory flexibility across programs."
Rita Numerof, PhD, global healthcare strategist
Mr. Trump during his campaign has repeatedly promised to work with Congress to repeal the ACA. Here, Dr. Numerof addresses what comes next.
"The ACA's approach was doomed from the start. It achieved the goal of reducing the number of Americans without health insurance, but took an approach of adding narrowly prescriptive regulations that shifted the focus from care delivery to compliance with rules.
What we need moving forward is a market-based model that promotes competition and increased value at lower cost, like in most industries. Fee-for-service provider reimbursement, disconnected from outcomes that matter, needs to be put out of its misery in favor of bundled payments and other approaches that link costs to outcomes.
If we are serious about reform, we need to move beyond the current obsession with coverage to a real debate about choice, accountability, transparency, cost and quality."
Donald W. Fisher, PhD, president and CEO of AMGA
"AMGA offers its congratulations to President-Elect Trump on his victory. We are excited to work with his new team to continue to transition the financing of our healthcare system from volume-based to value-based payment. AMGA members are focused on providing quality health care to their 130 million patients. Every administration brings change, and I am confident that multispecialty medical groups and integrated delivery systems will play a key role in shaping the future of healthcare in the country."
Chip Kahn, president and CEO of the Federation of American Hospitals
"As we look forward — past the campaign and toward governing — we are confident that President-elect Trump will keep his focus on consumers and patients. We need to maintain access to health care coverage for millions of Americans, while at the same time protecting Medicare for seniors, as well as Medicaid for those with lower incomes. Any re-examination of ACA will take time to develop and require a workable transition for those who depend on the coverage and those providing the care. Hospitals share the President-elect's commitment to assuring access to care and look forward to working with him and the new Congress."
Pamela F. Cipriano, PhD, RN, president of the American Nurses Association
"As President-elect Trump looks to improve America’s healthcare system, we are ready to work with his administration to advance healthcare that is accessible, affordable, equitable, integrated and innovative. This new administration also has an opportunity to unite the country around a shared vision that puts protecting and promoting quality healthcare for all Americans above partisan politics. ANA stands ready to offer support and assistance to make this opportunity a reality."
Ted Shaw, president and CEO of the Texas Hospital Association
"While the election results were decisive, there is considerable uncertainty about what the future of healthcare looks like. Texas hospitals will continue to provide the highest quality care to anyone who seeks it, but that care requires stable and adequate funding. Repeal without replacement of the ACA’s provisions that have reduced the number of uninsured would be problematic for any leadership be they Republican or Democrat.
Any replacement needs to ensure that patients can get the care they need and providers are fairly paid for services provided. At the same time, cutting Medicaid funding would undermine the innovations, care improvements and cost efficiencies achieved by Texas Medicaid since 2011. Nonetheless, Texas hospitals will welcome a discussion about how entitlement programs can be reformed and improved so they are financially sustainable.
For almost a decade, hospitals have adjusted in an age of reform as healthcare professionals strategized and adjusted to new priorities in quality and patient safety brought on by the ACA. While the law isn’t perfect, the opportunity now exists to engage consumers and political leaders on policies that go beyond whether you do or do not support Obamacare. Instead, we must fully invest ourselves in what it means to be healthy, what it means to provide healthcare, and how we want to pay for it."
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