American College of Physicians Suggests Lead Health Care Reform

Leaders of the American College of Physicians (ACP) say that a policy proposal they introduced earlier this year could be used to guide the US health care system, both during the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic and afterward.

In an “Ideas and Opinions” article published in Annals of Internal Medicine earlier this week, ACP leaders argued that actions outlined in the January policy paper, “Better is Possible: The American College of Physicians Vision for the U.S. Health Care System” could be used to improve access to care, reduce per capita health care costs, and reduce health care system complexity.

The pandemic exposed the flaws of the US health care system, including lack of universal coverage and access, socioeconomic inequalities, race- and ethnicity-based marginalization, and gendered consequences, according to lead author Sue S. Bornstein, MD.

“This widespread public health crisis has wreaked havoc on patients and left many health care systems unable to provide much needed care,” she said in a statement. “Enough is enough. The time is now to address our system’s shortcomings and enact real change.”

The policy paper calls for the US to adopt a single payer financing health care system or a publicly financed coverage option with regulated private insurance.

The need for expanding coverage is underscored by the COVID-19 pandemic as more than 30 million people are uninsured or underinsured. That number is likely to increase, as the pandemic has led to millions of Americans losing their jobs and, thus, possibly their employer-provided insurance policies. Read more Medical Economics at https://bit.ly/37ApCf9 ❒