ICYMI: Building on What’s Working: America Has the Foundation to Transform the Next Generation of Health Care Access   

WASHINGTON – In a recent op-ed, Lauren Crawford Shaver, executive director of the Partnership for America’s Health Care Future, points out that the most effective path to expanding access to affordable, high-quality health coverage and care for Americans is through building on what’s already working in health care. Crawford Shaver adds that fully expanding Medicaid, coupled with enhancements to our current system, could significantly increase access to care, according to research. Furthermore, lawmakers and voters are signaling that the path forward in health care does not involve creating unaffordable, new government-controlled health insurance systems like the public option. 

• Programs such as employer-sponsored insurance, Medicare, Medicaid and individual coverage plans have collectively contributed to increasing access to health care for individuals and families.” 

• “While we work to lower the uninsured rate even further, we should look to what has worked in the past. A study found that Medicaid expansion remains one of the most effective ways states can reduce their uninsured rates.” 
• “As senior leaders in the Senate recently indicated, there’s momentum in Congress to expand on our current system to ensure more Americans can access quality care. It is time to lead a national conversation about providing individuals with what they want from their health care — access to affordable, high-quality health coverage and care.” 

Recent polling shows that voters prefer building on our current health care system rather than starting over by creating an unaffordable, new government-controlled health insurance system. At a time when Americans are depending on access to affordable, high-quality health coverage and care more than ever, we should prioritize building on and improving what’s working in health care, not starting over. 

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