TMC PULSE

t m c » p u l s e | n o v e m b e r 2 0 1 6 9 GEORGE V. M A SI President and CEO for Harris Health System "This is going to be an extremely pivotal national election. The candi- dates have stated their positions as they relate to health care benefits and insurability. The Affordable Care Act is at the center of the discussion. Mrs. Clinton has indicated that her direction would be to further expand access to care through the Affordable Care Act. Mr. Trump has stated that, under his leadership, the Affordable Care Act would be repealed and he would take the country in a different direction in terms of health care. Locally and across Texas, the Affordable Care Act has expanded the health care safety net to a large number of people in this com- munity. We have been able to expand access to primary care, dramatically expand access to outpatient mental health care, and decongest our emer- gency rooms. If the Affordable Care Act were to be repealed, it would be nothing short of catastrophic for Harris Health System. Harris County taxpayers currently provide about 47 percent of the Harris Health System budget. If the Affordable Care act is repealed, we would be even more reliant on the Harris County taxpayers. Taxpayers are currently in a double-bind because in Texas, our tax- payers are already paying for Medicaid to be expanded with their federal income tax. As a state, we have opted not to expand Medicaid and, because of that, the $6 billion that has been paid by Texas taxpayers and earmarked by the federal government for Medicaid expansion is distributed to other states that have expanded their programs. The double-bind is that Harris County taxpayers are paying twice for health care through the federal government and the local government." K I M BE R LY MON DAY, M . D. President of Harris County Medical Society and member of the Harris Health System Board of Managers "The biggest issue is the lack of interop- erability of electronic medical records. Our system is incredibly fragmented. There's a federal mandate that encour- ages doctors to use electronic health records and most of us have complied. But there are different vendors that sell the medical records systems. So you have probably 100 medical records sys- tems and they don't talk to each other. And there's no incentive for vendors to be compatible because it's proprietary. I can be next door to another physician and I don't have access to what they've done. They don't have access to what I have done. There are ways around it, but the amount of time it takes to access other platforms is ridiculous. It's a matter of the hospital or phy- sician and what platform he or she will be on. There are big systems hospitals use, but they are expensive to purchase, so many physicians are on smaller platforms. There's no single place to get your medical record. As a result, it's a tremendous amount of work to keep up with your own medical record." Pomona is the first LiveSmart master-planned community in the Houston area by Hillwood Communities, a Perot company. Featuring a relaxed, coastal atmosphere, this 1,000-acre community in the heart of the rapidly growing Highway 288 corridor makes it easy to live a happier, healthier lifestyle with a resort-style amenity center, miles of walking trails, sports fields, Fish Camp, Exploration Zone Park and an on-site Alvin ISD elementary school. And with 300 acres left untouched or as dedicated green space, Pomona is setting the standard for what it means to LiveSmart. Coventry Homes • David Weekley Homes Highland Homes • Plantation Homes • Trendmaker Homes New Homes From The $280s PomonaLiveSmart.com Sam Houston Parkway CR 101 6 288 ✪ 6 MODELS NOW OPEN! P er fect l y 8 Locally and across Texas, the Affordable Care Act has expanded the health care safety net to a large number of peo- ple in this community. … If the Affordable Care Act were to be repealed, it would be nothing short of catastrophic for Harris Health System. — GEORGE V. MASI

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