Washington, D.C. January 21, 2020--The American College of Physicians (ACP) today issued a bold call to action challenging the U.S. to implement systematic reform of the health care system, and released an ambitious new vision for a better health care system for all and expansive policy recommendations for how to achieve it. The series of policy papers is published as a supplement in Annals of Internal Medicine .
"Better is Possible: The American College of Physicians Vision for the U.S. Health Care System" is a comprehensive, interconnected set of policies to guide the way to a better U.S. health care system for all. It includes a call to action that challenges the U.S. not to settle for the status quo, but to implement systematic health care reforms. The additional set of ACP policy papers address issues related to coverage and cost of care, health care payment and delivery systems, and barriers to care and social determinants of health, and offer specific recommendations supported by evidence about ways the U.S. can change the status quo and achieve a better healthcare system for all. The papers are:
"ACP set out to develop this new vision for health care by asking, 'What would a better health care system for all Americans look like?" said Robert M. McLean, MD, MACP, president, ACP. "We believe that American health care costs too much; leaves too many behind without affordable coverage; creates incentives that are misaligned with patients' interests; undervalues primary care and under invests in public health; spending too much on administration at the expense of patient care; and fosters barriers to care for and discrimination against vulnerable individuals."
ACP's specific recommendations provide a foundation for achieving the organization's vision for a better health care system for all, in which:
The papers were developed based on examination and analysis of the strengths and weaknesses of the current U.S. health care system and ACP's analysis of the major problems with American health care. Potential solutions outlined in the papers use as their foundation, the best available data and evidence, and a comprehensive review of the literature and recommendations, that build on ACP's day-to-day advocacy to support the daily practice and well-being of its members, and health of patients. The systematic approach to reform includes:
ACP proposes that costs be controlled by lowering excessive prices, increasing adoption of global budgets and all-payer rate setting, prioritizing spending and resources, increasing investment in primary care, reducing administrative costs, promoting high-value care, and incorporating comparative effectiveness and cost into clinical guidelines and coverage decisions.
"Through this extensive and forward thinking set of papers and recommendations, ACP hopes to lay the foundation for a better health care system for all. As internal medicine physicians, we face challenges every day in working through the current system on behalf of patients. We can and must imagine what a better health care system looks like, and be committed to attaining it. ACP, through this vision, is willing to accept that challenge, and calls on others to join us. We believe the status quo is an unsustainable model for our country and most importantly, our patients," concluded Dr. McLean. "All of us deserve better and better is possible."
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About the American College of Physicians
The American College of Physicians is the largest medical specialty organization in the United States with members in more than 145 countries worldwide. ACP membership includes 159,000 internal medicine physicians (internists), related subspecialists, and medical students. Internal medicine physicians are specialists who apply scientific knowledge and clinical expertise to the diagnosis, treatment, and compassionate care of adults across the spectrum from health to complex illness.
Annals of Internal Medicine