Book Description

The United States spends more money on health care by far than any other country and yet nearly 50,000,000 Americans are uninsured at least part of the time each year. Health Care Reform Now! is written for anyone who cares enough about our health care situation to consider serious alternatives to the current system. In this book George Halvorson—an internationally known health care leader and author—offers a sensible approach to health care reform and universal coverage that can work for all stakeholders. Step by step, George Halvorson outlines a game plan for a truly world-class health care system that will appeal to policy makers on both ends of the political spectrum and will deliver health care with improved quality, better access, provider accountability, performance transparency, consumer choice, and individual empowerment. As readable as it is instructive, Health Care Reform Now! proposes a practical model that solves the unsolvable by identifying specific areas where health care performance can create better outcomes, better choices, and far better use of the health care dollar. Halvorson explains why "reform" itself needs to be a "product" rather than just a concept. He also explains why quick action is essential and how using the right tools—the focus on real costs and the use of real data and better caregiver support systems—can make universal coverage easy to administer, efficient, affordable, and "free" in three years—compared to what the total cost of care would be without universal coverage.