The Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association unveiled a strategy today that is designed to help revamp America's healthcare system.
The report, "Pathway to Covering America: Ensuring Quality, Value and Access," offers details for addressing the underlying problems of today's healthcare system and how to expand coverage.
The association, made up of 39 independent, community-based and locally operated Blue Cross and Blue Shield companies, collectively provides healthcare coverage for some 99 million – or nearly one out of every three – Americans.
BCBSA President and CEO Scott Serota said the association strongly believes that everyone in America should have health insurance.
"However, we are concerned that a healthcare system that is unaffordable for many today will not work for even more people tomorrow," he said. "We must make addressing both rising healthcare costs and extending coverage to everyone a national priority."
The report said future coverage is contingent on attacking high costs of care and changing incentives to improve the quality of healthcare. It lays out detailed recommendations to improve the quality and value of the healthcare system, while simultaneously expanding access and coverage to all Americans.
The recommendations hinge on five principles: the need to encourage medical research, provide incentives for better care, empower consumers and providers to make good decisions, promote healthy lifestyles and foster public-private coverage solutions.
"Clearly, there is no single answer for improving quality and value and expanding coverage," the report said. "Meaningful change will depend on thoughtful, coordinated contributions from everyone – and it will require payers, patients, hospitals, physicians and policymakers to accept responsibility for taking part in the solution."
In related news, America's Health Insurance Plans (AHIP) released a proposal Tuesday on how to increase coverage to America's more than 40 million uninsured. The plan would expand eligibility for public programs, enable all consumers to purchase health insurance with pre-tax dollars, provide financial assistance to help working families afford coverage and encourage states to develop and implement access proposals.