Tuesday, October 14, 2008

Without Reform, a Health Care Bailout May Be Needed


At this year's 23rd Cerner Health Conference, Neal Patterson, CEO of Cerner Corp., pounded home the message that a health care bailout may soon become a reality.

According to Patterson, with costs escalating, the health care industry could very well be headed for a crash that could mirror - or dwarf - the $700 billion Wall Street bailout.

"The Wall Street bailout is a one-time number," Patterson said. "To bail out health care, it is not a one-time fix. When the bailout comes...it's going to be a very gloomy day."

He predicts that some hospitals and health organizations eventually may quit honoring government reimbursement programs - he used Medicare as an example - because the programs do not cover the costs of providing the service.






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