Health plan chief prescribes prevention at CEO Breakfast Forum

 

James Roosevelt, Jr., president and chief executive officer of Tufts
Health Plan, addresses Northeastern’s CEO Breakfast Forum about
the cost and quality of health care in the United States.
Photo/HERATCH EKMEKJIAN 

 

By Jason Kornwitz

To control rising health care costs, health providers and employers must shift their collective focus from treatment to prevention and wellness, said James Roosevelt Jr., president and CEO of Tufts Health Plan.

Speaking during Northeastern University’s CEO Breakfast Forum on Sept. 25 at the Four Seasons Hotel in Boston, Roosevelt called health care costs “startling” and “disturbing” and said they negatively affect the ability of business leaders to succeed in the marketplace and profoundly impact the livelihood of the average family.

“How long can we deal with unsustainable increases in health care costs?” Roosevelt said, noting that this year’s 9 percent increase in national medical costs, the escalating number of patients nationally who pay up front before receiving lifesaving treatment and the sheer number of individuals affected by diseases such as diabetes (24 million Americans), illustrate the fact that stakeholders must begin to examine health care in a new way.

Rising costs, he said, stem in part from patients’ tendencies to undergo costly medical procedures and pass-up less expensive, more effective alternatives such as exercise programs or rest.

“We have to take steps to be sure there’s effective use of the wonderful technology we have available for us,” he said.

While the ramifications of the economy’s downturn will limit the flexibility of the next U.S. president to make progress in the country’s health care system, Roosevelt said increased health care costs have driven employees to take measures to improve their health. Moreover, he offered examples of health care providers and employers who are combating the crisis through various organizational programs and projects.

Prior to large-scale surgical weight loss procedures, Tufts Health Plan members receive coaching on how to keep in shape afterward; “Biggest Loser” employee campaigns can reinforce camaraderie and the desire to achieve goals and changes to cafeteria menus promote healthier lifestyles.

“We can stem health care costs in a profound way” to improve both employee health and the company bottom line,” Roosevelt said. “We are on the precipice of great change but we have to seize the moment and work together.”

The National Committee for Quality Assurance ranks Tufts Health Plan, known as a local plan with a national reputation for excellence, second in the nation for clinical quality. Roosevelt became president and CEO in June 2005 and is past chairman of the board of the Massachusetts Hospital Association and past chairman of the board of Mount Auburn Hospital.

Before Roosevelt’s talk, Northeastern President Joseph Aoun addressed the impact of the financial crisis on higher education.

In economically lean times, he said, educational institutions benefit from an influx of graduate students — professionals using the down times to better prepare themselves for new or enhanced careers — but experience a marked increase in the demand for financial aid.

“This economy provides both challenges and opportunities,” Aoun said. “As we welcome more mid-career students to our graduate ranks, we must find ways to integrate them fully with the university community. At the same time, we must maintain student financial aid as a priority. Northeastern is exploring new and creative ways to continue to serve our mission.”