Here’s One Doctor’s Prescription for a Better Medicare Plan.

Dr. John Yeatts, his fellow physicians at Duke Health and other leading health care providers believe that Medicare plans can be improved to provide Medicare eligible people with better care and better outcomes. Here’s what he would like to see in a Medicare plan.

“As physicians, we’ve seen firsthand how plans work — or don’t work,” he said. “My colleagues and I believe that a new approach is needed if we’re going to deliver the kind of care that people on Medicare deserve.”

Here’s what Dr. Yeatts sees as the keys to a better Medicare plan:

• Stronger patient-physician connection through better communication. “The primary care doctor plays such an important role in making patients feel valued and respected. Listening to patients is the first step to better health outcomes.”
• Improved coordination between patient, doctor, specialists and other health care professionals. Dr. Yeatts says, “We need to have everyone on the same page, with clear treatment goals and plans. We don’t want to overlook any opportunities to improve care, and we don’t want to waste our patients’ time and money by duplicating services.”
• Predictable costs for doctor visits and other health care services. “Patients do not need the stress that comes with unexpected medical costs. They need to know what they’ll owe when they see a doctor or specialist. And it needs to be affordable.”

The good news is that Dr. Yeatts and his colleagues are currently putting their experience to work in changing how Medicare Advantage plans work in the Triangle.