A coalition of chief executives from several healthcare companies and organizations has announced an industrywide healthcare reform proposal intended to improve accessibility and quality of care. The health proposal, titled Closing the Gap: A Proposal to Develop Affordable, Quality Health Care to All Americans, was unveiled May 13 at a Chicago press briefing by the Healthcare Leadership Council.
The proposal calls for a number of approaches, including:
• Fully funding public coverage programs, while allowing dollars from the Medicaid and State Children’s Health Insurance Program to be used to fund subsidies to help workers unable to afford their share of employer-provided health coverage
• Eliminating tax-treatment disparities felt by people who purchase individual health insurance
• Restructuring healthcare payment systems to encourage and reward positive outcomes
• Speeding up the movement toward a nationwide health information network
Health industry leaders have scheduled meetings to discuss the proposal with leaders of key U.S. Senate and House committees, and plan to present it to the Democratic and Republican presidential campaigns. Read the proposal.
