What are the Issues in Health Care Reform?

The issue is how to fix health care. Congress is considering lots of possibilities. They involve:

• Market reforms - changing how insurance is designed and purchased
• Delivery system reforms - how doctors, hospitals and other providers operate
• Structural reforms - the framework to connect and bolster those things

The goals? While the issues are complex, the goals are simple:

• To cut costs
• To improve health
• To ensure no one is left out

The 20 Issues in Health Care Reform

We've divided the 20 reform issues into the three categories above - market, delivery system, and structure of the health care system - and provided arguments from both sides to help consumers understand what the health care reform conversation is all about.

Market Reform Issues:

• Individual mandate
• Employer mandate
• Guarantee issue
• Community rating
• Public plan
• Risk adjustment
• Reinsurance
• Gateways / connectors / exchanges
• Standardized plans
• Prevention and wellness

Delivery System Reform Issues:

• Medical home
• Accountable care organizations
• Episodes of care / bundled payment
• Transparency

Structural Reforms

• Comparative effectiveness
• Evidence-based medicine
• Government (or quasi-government) health board
• Data aggregation
• Tort reform
• Health insurance tax exemption

Health Care Reform - Early 2009 Health Reform Efforts

Watch Healthcare Video: Why Do We Need Health Reform?