title: Aiming high for the U.S. health system: a context for health reform.
abstract: Policy officials often assert that the U.S. has the best health care system in the world, but a recent scorecard on U.S. health system performance finds that the U.S. achieves a score of only 65 out of a possible 100 points on key indicators of performance in five key domains: healthy lives, access, quality, equity, and efficiency, where 100 represents the best achieved performance in other countries or within the U.S. The U.S. should aim higher by adopting a set of policies that will extend affordable health insurance to all; align financial incentives for health care providers to enhance value and achieve savings; organize the health care system around the patient to ensure that care is accessible and coordinated; meet and raise benchmarks for high-quality, efficient care; and ensure accountable national leadership and public-private collaboration. The incoming president and Congress should aspire to have the best health system in the world--not just assert it--and can do so by learning from examples of excellence within the U.S. and abroad.
authors.affiliation: The Commonwealth Fund, USA.
authors.forename: Karen
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Davis
authors.forename: Cathy
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Schoen
authors.forename: Katherine
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Shea
authors.forename: Christine
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Haran
mesh_terms: D039602:After-Hours Care / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D003695:Delivery of Health Care / Q000145:classification* / Q000191:economics / Q000592:standards; D018166:Health Care Reform; D006801:Humans; D008489:Medical Indigency / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D008508:Medication Errors / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D010351:Patient Discharge / Q000592:standards; D011787:Quality of Health Care; D014481:United States; D014850:Waiting Lists