CEO Corner

November 20, 2009

George Halvorson Talks Health Care Reform on ‘Big Think’

Kaiser Permanente CEO George Halvorson discussed health care reform, and fielded live questions in-studio and online, during a Nov. 18 segment of “Big Think,” a global forum connecting people and ideas.

The segment was sponsored by Hewlett-Packard, which promoted the online event to about a half-million people in its imaging line of business.

Peter Hopkins, chairman and founder of Big Think, asked Halvorson questions about health care reform, Kaiser Permanente’s extensive experience with health information technology, and the costs of care nationally and worldwide. Hopkins asked Halvorson several questions derived from Halvorson’s most recent books about health care reform, “Health Care Will Not Reform Itself” and “Health Care Reform Now!”

Halvorson talked at length about the need for “a care improvement agenda in America.” As just one example, Halvorson noted that improving the quality of care delivered to diabetics in the United States would reduce by 50 percent the incidences of kidney failure. That would obviously have important implications not only for millions of Americans with diabetes, but for the entire country as it involves grappling with how to care for more Americans and contain costs.

Halvorson also emphasized that the current health care debate in America is not informed by both caregivers and actuaries, and that reform can’t occur until both are appropriately represented. Central to health care reform should be making sure that every American has health insurance.