Confronting the Healthcare Challenge
 Healthcare is one of the most pressing public policy issues in United States. Healthcare costs in California alone amount to $150 billion and account for 15 percent of the state’s total output. Annual health insurance costs for a family of four now exceed $8,000.
Healthcare is a critical issue for families, businesses, and policy makers at all levels of government. Despite the absolute need for healthcare, millions of Americans are uninsured.
Understanding this complex issue and developing options to reform it require an analytical perspective beyond political rhetoric. AnalysisOnline content addresses the following questions:
- What drives healthcare costs and healthcare premiums?
- Who has access to the healthcare system, and what are the consequences of lack of insurance?
- How can we improve the quality of healthcare?
- What are the realistic answers to these and other questions that will help Americans develop a better understanding of how the system operates, and what can be done to improve it (and at what cost).
In 2004, the Communications Institute partnered with the RAND Corporation and a group of nine California universities to examine the healthcare situation in California. This consortium conducted four conferences throughout the state, with the goal of providing leaders from all sectors and media with an objective, non-partisan assessment of the status of healthcare quality, access, and cost.
The project was developed with the leadership of two California state legislators from both political parties: Assembly Members Keith Richman, M.D., and Joe Nation, Ph.D. The legislators received input from a wide variety of participants on what steps could be taken to improve the system.
The resulting content is based on objective, non-partisan analysis. The RAND Corporation helped to develop this content, including a special resource book on healthcare costs, quality, and access.
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