Will Ferniany, Ph.D.
CEO of the UAB Health System
Areas of expertise:
- Hospital Pricing
- U.S. Health Care Reform
- Vouchers for Health Care Choice
- Rural Health Care
Ferniany is the CEO of the UAB Health System. Its centerpiece, UAB Hospital, is the third largest public hospital in the United States making it one of the largest academic medical centers in the country. It is also one of the most advanced in the nation. Ten of UAB’s specialties rank among the nation’s top 50 programs of their kind, according to U.S. News and World Report. UAB Hospital is the home to Alabama’s only Level I Trauma Center and also provides patients with a complete range of primary and specialty care services, as well as the most up-to-date treatments and innovations in health care.
Ferniany has crafted what he believes is a practical and politically feasible approach to U.S. health care reform. The keys in Ferniany’s solution are vouchers (for choice) and allowing everyone an option to purchase a Medicare solution. The proposal provides freedom of choice for people purchasing insurance; addresses concerns regarding pre-existing conditions; provides competition, thereby reducing the cost and increasing benefits; stabilizes the small and individual markets; ensures fairness by having large risk pools; and eliminates the Medicaid stigma barrier. His proposal does not provide for universal insurance, but it does offer a foundation for such in the event that the federal and/or state government(s) wished to extend benefits to all, through tax credits or subsidies.
Media coverage:
- New federal law requires hospitals to list prices to make health care more transparent, Fox News
- 5 things we must do to improve the US healthcare system, Thrive Global