Issues to Consider in Examining Cost, Access, and Quality Challenges

• In reforming our health care system, the public needs to be educated about the differences between wants, needs, affordability, and sustainability at both the individual and aggregate level.

• Ideally, health care reform proposals will

  • align incentives for providers and consumers to make prudent choices about health insurance coverage and prudent decisions about the use of medical services,
  • foster transparency with respect to the value and costs of care, and
  • ensure accountability from health plans and providers to meet standards for appropriate use and quality.