Re-Forming Our Health System: Some Questions

Here are some basic questions relevant to re-forming our health system:

1. Who should define the issues pertaining to reform of our health system?

2. How should the decisions on issue definition be made?

3. Is health care a right? If not, why not? If so, what are the corresponding obligations and upon whom should they fall?

4. How should decisions be made when multiple individuals are competing for the same health care, but limited resources require that only one receive the care?

5. Are there any groups in our society that should have preferred access to health care?

6. Are there any groups in our society that should have restricted access to health care?

7. What proportion of our national economic resources should be devoted to health care? To Public Health? To personal health services?

8. What proportion of our individual economic resources should be devoted to our health care?

9. Should our health system provide a uniform standard of care, or should individuals receive health care based on their religious, ethnic, customary or other beliefs?

10. Should we have professional licensure and institutional accreditation performed by the states or solely by the federal government?