State Health Care Reform: A Resource for Legislators

During the twentieth century, physicians, scientists, and other health-care professionals in the United States made rapid progress in curing disease, restoring function, and relieving pain. During this time, essentially all measures of health status improved, and recent data suggests that for many clinical conditions, U.S. patients have equal or superior outcomes to patients in other advanced countries. However, though most Americans receive excellent care, some patients have limited access to care, U.S. health-care expenditures are very large, and some Americans receive substandard care.

This policy resource aims to provide state policy makers with a framework for approaching health-care reform at the state level. While there are many factors that contribute to health-care access, quality, and cost, this resource emphasizes the role that federal and state policies have on U.S. health care and the effects that state reforms and ensuing regulations may have.

Citation (Chicago Style):

King, Don. "State Health Care Reform: A Resource for Legislators."  Mercatus Policy Series, Policy Resource No. 5. Arlington, VA: Mercatus Center at George Mason University, 2009.