NBC Connecticut recently visited Goodroot’s office in Collinsville for a story about our unique approach to increasing access and affordability in healthcare. Goodroot CEO Mike Waterbury also discussed recent proposals from Governor Ned Lamont on medical debt and healthcare costs.
Below are highlights of Mike’s comments in the interview.
On medical debt: “We sometimes refer to it as medical oppression, because it’s not really the same as other debt. A lot of times, you’re not making the choice. Some care is very expensive, and a lot of the hospitals are doing an amazing job. It’s just, how do we pay for it so that the patient isn’t left in financial ruin? In Connecticut, we have a lot of people who have insurance. We have a lot of people who have access to Medicaid. We really don’t have a high percentage of uninsured. So it’s interesting, because we still have a lot of debt.
On Governor Ned Lamont’s medical debt proposal: “We’re very excited about that. We would love to be involved. We know our companies can help. The key for us in that initiative is not just to help the people with debt, it’s ultimately to find out what’s causing it and fix those issues.
On reinventing healthcare one system at a time: “Our main focus is putting the patient back in the center of every decision. It’s not a big bang, you can’t replace it all at once. We believe that you have to address one system at a time and then eventually you can have a major impact.”
