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Today's Healthcare Environment

Access to quality, affordable health care is one of the most important requirements of a society.  In the United States today, over 40 million people do not have health insurance and an even larger number are uncertain about whether their future health care needs will be met.  Rising costs and a lack of political consensus about government's role in health care further elevates doubts about how our health care system can be improved and enhanced.

Market-Driven Health Care

At PIE, Inc., we believe that changes in our health care system are needed so that health care will be more accessible and affordable, and so that our world leading quality standards can be further enhanced.  As a society, we are debating two opposing visions for the future of health care: government-financed health care or market-driven health care.  Proponents of government-financed health care argue that this is the simplest and most direct approach to achieving universal health coverage.  While we accept this as a true statement, we believe there's a much better alternative.  Market-driven health care would be far superior to government financed health care in terms of maintaining quality, optimizing access, and incentivizing cost-effectiveness.  Market dynamics are much more efficient and effective in determining the availability and distribution of health services, as opposed to centrally-controlled, political process of rationing of health care.  Furthermore, we believe that enlightened government policy could blend market-driven health care with the goal of achieving universal health coverage for all Americans.

What PIE, Inc. is Doing

PIE, Inc. commits substantial amounts of our time to participating in community activities that we believe contribute to an enhanced future for health care.  We don't pretend to have all the answers, but we think it is imperative that those of us concerned about the future of health care be at the table where the future is being discussed.  Many of these activities are on an ad hoc or temporary basis.  For example, in 2002, David Allen chaired the Market Forces subcommittee of the Governor's Task Force on Healthcare Costs and Quality.  Other activities are on an ongoing basis; for example, the following are some of the organizations that we believe are making a positive difference in our community:

• Advocates for Marketplace Options for Mainstreet (AMOM).  David Allen has been a board member of this organization for several years.  This is one of the most influential health policy organizations in the state, largely because of its very able leadership.  More about AMOM can be learned by visiting its web site at www.amom.org.
   
• Minnesota Physician-Patient Alliance (MPPA).  David Allen is a board member of this think tank and advocacy organization.  More about MPPA is on their web site at www.physician-patient.org.
   
• Minnesota Medical Group Management Association (MMGMA).  This is the very active organization representing the interests of Minnesota medical groups.  The MMGMA web site is at www.mmgma.org.
   
• Bloomington Youth Coffeehouse Initiative (BYCI).  I have served as Chairman of the Board for this organization since it was co-founded by my son in 2001.  The mission of BYCI is to develop a safe, chemical- and tobacco-free environment where Bloomington area high school students can go to have fun, hear live music, eat light snacks, and drink their favorite non-alcoholic beverages.  You can learn more about BYCI by visiting their web site at www.bloomingtonyouth.org/byci.
   
• Hamm Memorial Psychiatric Clinic.  I am a board member and chairman of the Governance Committee for this not-for-profit mental health center in St. Paul.  You can learn more about the Hamm Clinic at http://www.hammclinic.org/StartPage.htm.

Send mail to david@allenpie.com with questions or comments about this web site.
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