Roskam gains insight on health care industry’s continuity-of-care challenges

U.S. Rep. Peter Roskam (R-IL), the new chairman of the House Ways and Means Subcommittee on Health, learned firsthand about the health care industry’s struggles during meetings with stakeholders in his congressional district.

“In my role as chairman [of the health subcommittee], my goal is to understand how we can make providing quality patient care an easier and better experience for our providers by reducing regulatory burdens that create unnecessary obstacles while maintaining quality care for patients,” Rep. Roskam said during a listening session in the 6th Congressional District, held while the U.S. House of Representatives was in recess last week.

Rep. Roskam in January took over the gavel as the panel’s chairman and decided to meet with physicians, nurses, medical administrators and others in his home state about the existing barriers to patient care that undermine successful continuity of care, according to the congressman’s office.

Additionally, the health care industry stakeholders suggested ways to optimize health care delivery that emphasize patient outcomes rather than costs and expressed their heightened concerns about treating opioid-addicted patients in long-term care, according to Roskam’s staff.

“Incorporating technology and data sharing is a huge component of this and we need to find the best way to make this work to help us drive better outcomes at lower costs,” said Roskam.

The stakeholders welcomed the listening sessions with the congressman. Meghan Woltman, vice president of government and community relations for Advocate Healthcare, appreciated being able “to engage frontline system leaders” with Roskam to help him better comprehend the group’s goals toward advancing policies “that improve quality and outcomes while also reducing regulatory burden.”

Dr. Paul Merrick, president of DuPage Medical Group, applauded Roskam’s commitment and initiative to directly speak with stakeholders. “As other industries continue to provide better service and lower costs, health care must press forward faster, reaching people where they need it most, both conveniently and efficiently,” Merrick said.

“As we begin to focus on and address the regulatory barriers that the health industry faces in an increasingly technological society, we’re going to see positive results reflected in how patients are cared for and in the overall cost of quality health care,” said Rep. Roskam.