Get creative and get real

The Chronicle’s April 22 editorial “Get creative with insurance” hit the mark. My wife and I were graduate students at Duke, and our first son was born in Durham. I believe Duke cannot continue to impose the financial burden of almost $6,000 per student family for health insurance and expect to have graduate students with families come to Duke.

The editorial’s call for a “creative” solution was directed at Duke and the Duke University Health System. It should also have been directed at graduate students with families. GSWF should consider forming a “GSWF Health Council” that can negotiate with Dr. Lloyd Michener (Chair of Community and Family Medicine), Molly O’Neill (DUHS Chief Strategic Planning Officer) and Ted Pappas (Executive Medical Director of the Private Diagnostic Clinic) for a comprehensive, cost-effective plan to end GSWF health care coverage disparities and lower exorbitant premiums. Some questions that could go into the planning process are: Can a system of 24/7 primary care coverage be developed?; Can a symptom triage system be implemented that obviates the need for most ER visits?; Can GSWF have facilitated access to needed specialty care?; Can innovative cost savings in medication and durable medical equipment costs be obtained?; Can preventive services be a benefit?; Can a system of coverage be created that significantly lowers Blue Cross and Blue Shield premiums?

The GSWF Health Council could request that President Richard Brodhead personally solicit grad school alumni for donations that offset some of the burgeoning health care costs. The GSWF Health Council could petition to be part of the selection process of the new Director of Student Health Services; since the selection of that person has been delayed for the lack of a person with the skills to do the negotiating that the GSWF Health Council must now do. Duke can and must derive a “creative” and participatory solution to this health care cost issue. A GSWF Health Council can lead the way.

Charles Beauchamp M.D., Ph.D.

Clinical Assistant Professor of Medicine

Ph.D. ’73