Along with the economy, healthcare reform is making the headlines in the political campaigning going on currently. We all know that our healthcare system is in need of improvement. Costs are sky-rocketing, paperwork is increasingly complex, and many people are left without adequate health insurance coverage.
The Catholic Health Association (CHA) has just released a statement tackling this topic, Covering a Nation: Our Vision for US Health Care.
The statistics are staggering. One in every seven persons has no health insurance. This includes 9 million children. Surprisingly, most of those who cannot afford health coverage are employed.
Both Democrats and Republicans agree that we need to revamp our healthcare system. The key questions are how to do it and how to pay for it.
CHA offers a vision, values and principles to help with the decision-making process. The vision includes a health care system that provides access to everyone and is “equitably and rationally financed.” In this proposed vision, “patients and their families participate actively in a care process that pays attention to body, mind and spirit, and every person assumes a proper responsibility for his or her own health and wellness.”
CHA also proposes eight principles, all worthy of consideration in the current debates. In addition to access for all, the principles touch on the need for promoting prevention, the need for transparency and participative decision-making, improved safety and effectiveness, and appropriate financing.
The details of all this will need to be worked out in the future. But during this process, it is well worth considering these principles and values.
