Universal principles for health care refor A health care systems fundamental problems can be addressed if the decision makers recognize the interlocking nature of its elements. FEBRUARY 2007. Diana Farrell, Nicolaus P Henke, and Paul D. Mango Source: Healthcare Payor and Provider Practice In This article Exhibit 1: Seven common princip les, applicable to a broad spectrum of health systems, provid framework to guide decision making Exhibit 2: Health-care system leaders should deploy three main approaches to implementation about the autho Comments Health care systems around the world struggle to reconcile three com peting objectives: equitable access, high quality, and low cost. The these goals are inherently political. Should governments, for example, ration capacity in order to lower costs, even if doing so creates longer waiting times for care? Should they provide coverage to all citizens? Mandate quality standards? As political and local as such choices may seem, many of the challenges reformers face are common to almost every health care system: for instance, increased supply creates additional demand for care and often fails to generate commensurately better outcomes, such as longer life expectancy. In many countries, higher spending does not correlate with higher-quality health care as perceived by consumers A comprehensive approach The universal features of health care systems across the developed world suggest that today s reformers, who tend to be piecemeal in their interventions, would benefit from a more holistic approach: one that recognizes the strongUniversal principles for health care reform A health care system's fundamental problems can be addressed if the decision makers recognize the interlocking nature of its elements. FEBRUARY 2007 • Diana Farrell, Nicolaus P. Henke, and Paul D. Mango Source: Healthcare Payor and Provider Practice In This Article • Exhibit 1: Seven common principles, applicable to a broad spectrum of health systems, provide a framework to guide decision making. • Exhibit 2: Health-care system leaders should deploy three main approaches to implementation. • About the authors • Comments Health care systems around the world struggle to reconcile three competing objectives: equitable access, high quality, and low cost. The trade -offs among these goals are inherently political. Should governments, for example, ration capacity in order to lower costs, even if doing so creates longer waiting times for care? Should they provide coverage to all citizens? Mandate quality standards? As political and local as such choices may seem, many of the challenges reformers face are common to almost every health care system: for instance, increased supply creates additional demand for care and often fails to generate commensurately better outcomes, such as longer life expectancy. In many countries, higher spending does not correlate with higher-quality health care as perceived by consumers. A comprehensive approach The universal features of health care systems across the developed world suggest that today’s reformers, who tend to be piecemeal in their interventions, would benefit from a more holistic approach: one that recognizes the strong