In an op-ed in today’s Projo about CVS’ proposed network of in-store health clinics, Joann Fitzpatrick (a retired editor for the Quincy Patriot Ledger) argues that much of what appears to be a healthcare “crisis” is really the result of an inflexible system that poorly aligns available resources with people’s needs…

Our confusing, overpriced health-care system needs a lot of changes and high on the list is flexibility. That means flexibility in the attitude of health-care providers — including medical professionals and insurers — and in the delivery of health care. Too often patients must negotiate a labyrinth of rules and requirements just to see a doctor for a simple ailment….
[CVS MinuteClinics] answer the needs of working families and of those who don’t necessarily have a primary-care physician, or insurance. For a parent, taking a child with a sore throat or cough to a clinic rather than a busy pediatrician’s office can mean the difference between being an hour late for work or missing half a day. For a twenty-something without a personal physician, having a rash looked at and treated for $59 is the cost of a few drinks at a downtown bar….
Consumers need to become their own advocates for good health care. We can’t expect everyone to navigate insurance rules and increasingly complex modern medicine with ease. But consumers should be seeking value for their health-care dollar as much as they do with grocery bills.