Kennedy: An Outline for Health-Care Reform

The US health-care system that “shortchanges millions of Americans” is “about to change,” writes Ted Kennedy in the Boston Globe. The senator lays out five key elements of legislation he’s working on with “colleagues on both sides of the aisle”:

1. Americans will have “better choices for health insurance” as legislation creates contact “gateways” that will help people decide what coverage is best, including current plans or “new, more affordable options.”

2. Cost-cutting is essential: “We'll start paying for the overall quality of care, not the quantity of procedures.”
3. Legislation will focus on prevention: “We'll promote early screening for diabetes, heart disease, cancer, and depression,” and distribute more information about staying healthy.
4. New measures will help disabled and elderly Americans afford to “live at home and function independently.”
5. Health-care professionals will get the training they need, with emphasis on “primary care and basic prevention.”