October 4, 2018 – Cary, NC – Once again, State Treasurer Dale Folwell has proven that he has neither an insurance nor a healthcare background and is unwilling to work with those who do.
Mr. Folwell, an accountant, has limited understanding of the complexity of healthcare and what actually works to benefit patients and improve health. Healthcare provider groups have offered to help customize programs for the State Health Plan that would not only reduce costs, but more importantly, empower employees, retirees and their family members to reach their healthcare goals. The treasurer has refused to work with healthcare providers.
Those who dedicate their life’s work to our state deserve more than a spreadsheet approach to care. Every day, North Carolina healthcare providers work together with insurers and private businesses to provide high quality, coordinated care to their employees, saving businesses money and improving productivity in their workforce. We are eager to give the state employees the same benefit.
Just last week, the Accountable Care Organization run by Duke Health reported that it saved the federal government more than $21 million dollars in caring for more than 50,000 Medicare patients. Imagine the impact on more than 700,000 state employees and retirees if Mr. Folwell would go beyond his ego and legacy to work with healthcare providers on coordinated, cost effective care.
We make the offer, yet again, to Mr. Folwell: Work with providers to implement models of care that are already proving effective for others, and give our state employees and retirees a chance to have lower cost great care, close to home.
