The American Public on Health Care-The Missing Perspective - (Page 61)

Messages to Insurers Most Americans who are insured are satisfied with their coverage—with the exception of the cost. To improve the value proposition, insurers should: • Work Messages to Employers The American people believe in employerbased health care and most favor government involvement to require employer-based coverage. At the same time they want to see the rising costs contained. You, as employers, have an opportunity to engage your employees in open, fact-based discussions about the tradeoffs you face and their choices in that context. Faced with costs that are rising at unsustainable rates, employees should have choices that reflect their values. with employers, government, and providers to address current and future customer concerns. communications and information about costs, benefits, and choices. This information should be clear, concise, and consumer friendly. accountability of providers for quality and performance, rather than the quantity of procedures and paperwork. risks by expanding pools beyond state lines through national or regional health exchanges. incentives for prevention and treatment based on the best evidence of effectiveness. • Improve Raise your voice and communicate your priorities to candidates for public office, your elected leaders, your providers, your employers and your insurance companies. Insist on the information you need to make good decisions about your health and your health care and hold leaders accountable for keeping their promises and commitments to improve the quality, cost and access to care. It is imperative that your perspective— the missing perspective—be heard and heeded to achieve health care reform that reflects your priorities and fairly addresses your concerns. • Increase Messages to the Public Faced with a health care system plagued by cost increases and significant gaps in coverage, it is up to the American people to take ownership of their “health care destinies” by becoming better informed consumers and voters. Ask the Presidential candidates and your representatives in Congress—in person if you get the chance or send an email or letter—to explain their reform proposals: how much will they cost, how will they pay for them, how will they control costs, and what will be the impact on the quality of care and coverage for the uninsured. Become a better consumer by requesting information from your providers about their performance and the costs of services. • Spread • Improve 61

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of townhall

townhall

For optimal viewing of this digital publication, please enable JavaScript and then refresh the page. If you would like to try to load the digital publication without using Flash Player detection, please click here.