Health System Reform

The AMA supports the achievement of meaningful health system reform, which follows six key concepts:

Expand coverage

  • Provide affordable, essential health insurance coverage for all
  • Promote a robust private insurance market
  • Ensure sustainable public programs for vulnerable populations

Improve quality

  • Provide real time data at point of care
  • Use measurement as a tool, not an end point

Reform government programs

  • Ensure adequate payments
  • Replace Medicare sustainable growth rate (SGR)
  • Allow public subsidies for purchasing private insurance

Reduce costs

  • Break down silos and reward physicians for reducing costs
  • Enact medical liability reforms
  • Streamline insurance claims processing

Increased focus on wellness/prevention

  • Align insurance benefit design with prevention evidence
  • Make public investments in education, community projects, and nutrition
  • Eliminate racial, ethnic, and gender disparities

Payment and delivery reforms

  • Promote medical home and other steps to reward care coordination of chronic disease
  • Provide antitrust relief to improve quality and care coordination
  • Conduct adequate testing of new payment models

Please take (less than!) a minute to watch Dr. Cynthia Bradford, of Oklahoma City, Okla., talk about health system reform—and why you should be involved.