Writing Project — Part III: Consumer-Driven Healthcare: What It Means To Me; What People Need To Know
A few weeks ago, I sent an invitation to a number of healthcare bloggers asking them to answer two questions about the growing consumer-driven healthcare movement. I’m happy that several of them responded to my request.
In this three-part series, I have been republishing their reponses to my questions.
Part three of this series features commentary from Nedra Weinreich. Weinreich, founder and president of Weinreich Communications, works with nonprofits and government agencies to bring about health and social change using social marketing. She is also author of the blog Spare Change.
Click here to read parts one and two of this series.
Q: What does the term “consumer-driven healthcare” mean to you?
A: First, I have to preface this by noting that this is not my area of expertise. But from what I understand, “consumer-driven healthcare†is an approach that shifts the responsibility for health-related spending decisions from the insurance company or employer directly to the person using those services. Because an individual pays for services directly, he or she is much more aware of costs and less likely to use services indiscriminately. On the positive side, an individual can use the resources as he/she sees fit to tailor their coverage to meet their specific needs. This approach reintroduces the idea of competition into the marketplace and can keep healthcare costs down while increasing the quality of services offered. While this new level of responsibility for direct costs may be uncomfortable for some people, it will also be freeing for others who have not been able to use the services they prefer.
Q: What do you believe people need to know to become successful “consumers” of healthcare?
A: In a system in which the consumers themselves are making decisions about what type of healthcare coverage and services they will use, social marketing becomes critical. Social marketing is the use of marketing techniques to promote positive health or social behaviors, and can help people make the best decisions for themselves based on their own values. People will be bombarded by commercial marketers trying to sell their products and services, so a neutral third party can help them sort out their options and use their money wisely. Ratings systems, word of mouth referral networks, and educational campaigns would all be important pieces to provide that guidance. Healthcare consumers will need to be consumers of information, learning to sort out the options and determine what services and products work best for their specific needs.
