ACHP's Principles for Health Care Reform

The Alliance of Community Health Plans (ACHP) and its member organizations aim to improve the health of all individuals and the communities we serve. We support health care reforms that assure access for all to a high value system of care that provides outstanding patient experience. Health care should continue to reflect a public/private partnership that builds upon the employer-based system. This partnership is the most affordable, practical and politically acceptable way of achieving universal coverage. Access, value, patient experience and public/private partnership are the key dimensions that underlie ACHP's approach to reform.

Coverage

ACHP believes that all Americans should have health care coverage. Our vision is one of shared responsibility among individuals, employers, health plans and government:  

• individuals should be required to obtain coverage 
• employers should participate in financing care 
• health plans should issue affordable policies on a guaranteed basis 
• consumers should be offered a choice of health plans and delivery systems that reflect local markets
• government should provide subsidies for those who cannot afford coverage, strengthen current public programs and set the ground rules for a reformed system

Building on our current public/private partnership, the most promising approach to expanding coverage, is the development of health insurance exchanges or “connectors” to facilitate access to a choice of health plans and delivery systems for individuals not covered by an employer or Medicaid/Medicare. Health plans should compete within this system based on quality, service, and cost-effectiveness, rather than avoidance of risk. Private plans, including local or regional plans, must be able to compete in a fair market. Insurance reforms, exchange or connector rules, and other policies that are adopted as part of health care reform should be structured carefully so as not to diminish private sector plans’ ability to compete.

Delivery System and Payment Reforms

Health care reform should address affordability and quality as well as coverage. Both delivery system and payment reforms are critical to encourage improved health, prevention and coordination of care to improve quality, affordability and value. ACHP members are committed to taking actions that will promote more affordable care and coverage.

Payment reform and financial incentives are powerful tools that should be utilized to promote a patient-centered health care system. Payment reforms should move the system towards:

• greater coordination among providers and integrated delivery of care
• evidence-based utilization of services and reductions in geographic variations in utilization
• accountability for both quality and the cost of care generally and especially in the management of chronic disease
• redressing the current imbalance between primary and specialty care 
  

To view the complete Principles for Health Care Reform, click here