Senate Proceeding on Nov 5th, 2009 :: 1:04:50 to 1:12:20
Total video length: 11 hours 1 minutes Stream Tools: Stream Overview | Edit Time

Note: MetaVid video transcripts may contain inaccuracies, help us build a more perfect archive

Views:20 Duration: 0:07:30 Discussion

Previous speech:

Next speech:

1:04:46 to 1:05:07( Edit History Discussion )

Carl Levin: what we have in north carolina where we cover over 900,000 medical patients. finally, mr. president, i'd like to yield five minutes to my new colleague from massachusetts, senator paul kirk, to discuss key national indicators. the presiding officer: the senator from massachusetts. mr. kirk: mr. president, thank you. thank you as well to the senator

1:04:50 to 1:12:20( Edit History Discussion )
Speech By: Carl Levin

1:05:08 to 1:05:29( Edit History Discussion )

Carl Levin: from north carolina for the privilege to be a member of her class and the class of distinguished colleagues and freshmen and to commend her as well for her leadership in this discussion this morning adding on to the role the freshman class is playing in advocating heth care reform for the american people.

1:05:30 to 1:05:51( Edit History Discussion )

Carl Levin: mr. president, i'd like to speak this morning about a key national indicatorystem. as we know, america is said to lead the world in health innovation. it can create the finest medical devices, the most effective drugs to treat diseases and advanced processes and procedures to care for patients.

1:05:52 to 1:06:17( Edit History Discussion )

Carl Levin: it is this wide range of remarkable innovations that has resulted in today's $2.3 trillion health care industry. but despite all our medical achievements and technologies and the private and public money we spend on health ce, we do not lead the world in health outcomes.

1:06:21 to 1:06:42( Edit History Discussion )

Carl Levin: we need to in-- way we -- innovate the way we complement health care policy. for that is the creation of the key national indicator system. when illness strikes, we expect a health care team to carefully collect information from the patient and then consult the

1:06:43 to 1:07:03( Edit History Discussion )

Carl Levin: wide r available to them to akhaoeft appropriate dying -- achieve the appropriate diagnosis and treatment. that careful and complete process should yield the best poible course of treatment and recovery. we need the same kind of approach in the creation of wise health care policy.

1:07:04 to 1:07:24( Edit History Discussion )

Carl Levin: in particular, we need measures to identify what is wrong with our current health care system, includinwhat is driving the increasingly high cost of care. abundant research and reports have analyzed such questions. what is missing is a central independent organization that

1:07:25 to 1:07:46( Edit History Discussion )

Carl Levin: can analyze all of the research performed by various organizations and make that information congress, to the executive branch and the american people. that is an indispensable part of successful health reform. it will give decision-makers easier access to all the knowledge available and

1:07:47 to 1:08:07( Edit History Discussion )

Carl Levin: eliminat wasteful spending of the hard-earned dollars of american families. senators kennedy and senator enzi in a strong bipartisan effort understood the need for this vital resource and they designed a key national indicator system to provide it.

1:08:08 to 1:08:28( Edit History Discussion )

Carl Levin: it will be a nonpartisan independent agency with a public-private partnership. it will foster better relations and relationships between members of the legislative, statistical and scientific communities and will lead to greater transparency and accountability for spending on national health programs. without such a resource,

1:08:29 to 1:08:50( Edit History Discussion )

Carl Levin: mr. president, we will be at a serious disadvantage at fully understanding emerging health risks and assessing whether the intended result is being achieved or ade being made on the health care challenges facing us. the key national indicator system will make all its data available on a newly created,

1:08:51 to 1:09:11( Edit History Discussion )

Carl Levin: widely accessible web site in the health care context. this unprecedented accessibility of data will assist the public in understanding what information was used by politicians in creating heth care policy. it will enhance policy-makers to see whether progress is being made in health reform and it will permit practitioners and

1:09:12 to 1:09:33( Edit History Discussion )

Carl Levin: researchers to use the information for the greater benefit of patient consumers of health and medical care. significant progress in this area has already been accomplished. over the years the institute of medicine has been able to identify five drivers of health care quality and cost. first, health outcome

1:09:34 to 1:09:55( Edit History Discussion )

Carl Levin: second, health-related behaviors. third, health system peformance. fourth, social and physical environment. and, five, demographic disparities. the institute has recommended 20 specific indicators for measuring these five drivers health care quali

1:09:56 to 1:10:18( Edit History Discussion )

Carl Levin: these indicators were carefully selected to reflect both the overall health of the nation and the efficiency and effectiveness of our health care industry. however, the institute lacks an implementation system that can use these indicators effectively to guide future policy and practice. that's the goal and that's the

1:10:19 to 1:10:40( Edit History Discussion )

Carl Levin: mission of the new agency, the key national indicator system, we proposed. here's one example of how this legislation will improve our health care system. a recent study conducted by the harvard skaofl -- school of public health found using a checklist during surgical

1:10:41 to 1:11:01( Edit History Discussion )

Carl Levin: procedures resulted in a one-third reduction in complications from that surgery. reports such as this are made public, but you have to know where to look in order to access this information. the key national indicator system will take these reports compile them and disseminate them and make them available to the public. so any time a bill is being developed, a congressional office can go to this web site

1:11:02 to 1:11:24( Edit History Discussion )

Carl Levin: and see all the research that has been conducted on a topic in order to make economically sound decisions for the american people. currently congress and the executive branch continue to follow old habits. we tend to reinvent the wheel with every major new bill that is introduced. that approach leads to wasted

1:11:25 to 1:11:45( Edit History Discussion )

Carl Levin: time, wasted energy and wasted money. old habits are not good enough to achieve tomorrow's goals. by developing this indicator system, a process will be in place so that the efficiency and effectiveness of government spending on short, medium and long-term problems can be determined quickly and in a fiscally responsible manner.

1:11:46 to 1:12:07( Edit History Discussion )

Carl Levin: our current system is unsustainable. it creates unnecessary confusion when americans can least afford it. we need a system that will provide insight, foresight, transparency and accountability. we won't be doing our job, mr. president, for the american people if we allow their money to be spent without assessing the cost effectiveness of the

1:12:08 to 1:12:21( Edit History Discussion )

Carl Levin: various programs being developed. by creating the key national indicator system, we can reassure all americans that we did our required due diligence and that our health care reform bill will truly work for them.