Better is Possible: ACP's Vision for the U.S. Health Care System

ACP vision of improving healthcare access 

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The American College of Physicians, the internal medicine professional society to which I belong as a Fellow, has a vision for improving healthcare access in America. ACP provides a comprehensive, interconnected set of policies for a better U.S. health care system for all. 

The first of their set of comprehensive recommendations is that USA should transition to universal coverage, which includes essential benefits, which I and most US citizens and health care providers agree. Prior US presidents, including FDR, Nixon and Clinton have agreed. 

ACP vision challenges the U.S. not to settle for the status quo, but to implement systematic health care reforms. An additional set of ACP policy papers, published in Annals of Internal Medicine, address issues related to coverage and cost of care, health care payment and delivery systems, barriers to care and social determinants of health, and more. 

Although essentially a commendable set of proposals, I look forward to ACP giving more attention given to the "essentially uninsured", meaning those with unaffordable premiums, high deductibles, and poor access to providers. Not being able to afford healthcare is equivalent to not having access to healthcare. Its essentially not available. In addition, if a drug is intentionally unaffordable, it is essentially not available to those in need, and its approval from FDA should be denied. 

I have commented elsewhere on my blog why I think that all physicians should have their licensure contingent on accepting Medicare and Medicaid. I look forward to your comments on all these issues.