March 2008
U.S. health-care reform
Getting it done
Health-care reform will be a central issue in this year's presidential election. Consumers Union, the nonprofit publisher
of Consumer Reports, will be pressing for changes that ensure that all Americans can get high-quality health care at a price they can afford,
including guaranteed access and improved delivery of health care.
As it is, millions of families are one serious illness away from bankruptcy. Unchecked growth in the national health bill could create untenable economic instability for the nation within a decade. And it's estimated that patients receive medically appropriate care only about half of the time.
As state and federal proposals come up for serious debate, here are some criteria by which Consumers Union will judge them:
Complete coverage. Private insurance and public programs, such as Medicare, Medicaid, and the State Children's Health Insurance Program, must be expanded to guarantee that everyone is covered from cradle to grave, regardless of health status or ability to pay. Coverage should include all necessary medical services and leave no one in fear of delayed or denied treatment.
Fair cost spreading. No family should face financial ruin to pay for health care. Costs should be spread fairly among government, employers, and consumers.
Safer care. Millions of Americans are harmed each year by the care they receive. Improved safety systems would save billions of health-system dollars.
Better care. All too often, health-care decisions are based on financial incentives, not science. Comprehensive, easy-to-understand public information about the safety, cost, and quality of care by doctors, hospitals, and nursing homes would help consumers and employers choose the best care. Electronic medical records should be deployed, with strict privacy protections, to gather treatment results and to help consumers manage their care.
Prevention. Smoking- and obesity-related illnesses such as certain cancers, heart disease, and diabetes threaten to overwhelm health expenditures. The primary-care physicians whose job it is to prevent and control those conditions are the most poorly paid of all doctors. Reforms should give patients and doctors more support for banishing bad habits before they lead to costly illnesses.
As it is, millions of families are one serious illness away from bankruptcy. Unchecked growth in the national health bill could create untenable economic instability for the nation within a decade. And it's estimated that patients receive medically appropriate care only about half of the time.
As state and federal proposals come up for serious debate, here are some criteria by which Consumers Union will judge them:
Complete coverage. Private insurance and public programs, such as Medicare, Medicaid, and the State Children's Health Insurance Program, must be expanded to guarantee that everyone is covered from cradle to grave, regardless of health status or ability to pay. Coverage should include all necessary medical services and leave no one in fear of delayed or denied treatment.
Fair cost spreading. No family should face financial ruin to pay for health care. Costs should be spread fairly among government, employers, and consumers.
Safer care. Millions of Americans are harmed each year by the care they receive. Improved safety systems would save billions of health-system dollars.
Better care. All too often, health-care decisions are based on financial incentives, not science. Comprehensive, easy-to-understand public information about the safety, cost, and quality of care by doctors, hospitals, and nursing homes would help consumers and employers choose the best care. Electronic medical records should be deployed, with strict privacy protections, to gather treatment results and to help consumers manage their care.
Prevention. Smoking- and obesity-related illnesses such as certain cancers, heart disease, and diabetes threaten to overwhelm health expenditures. The primary-care physicians whose job it is to prevent and control those conditions are the most poorly paid of all doctors. Reforms should give patients and doctors more support for banishing bad habits before they lead to costly illnesses.
