Not-for-profits' role in a reformed system

As head of the White House task force that helped to craft President Bill Clinton's healthcare reform proposal (the Health Security Act), First Lady Hillary Rodham Clinton demonstrated her determination that reform result in a system that has caring and service at its center. In an address a year ago at the Catholic Health Association assembly, she stressed the administration's goal of providing the security of healthcare coverage to everyone in the United States. Saying the current complex, disjointed system "fragments the care people receive," the First Lady applauded programs that reach out to underserved populations and strengthen the country's healthcare infrastructure. In this interview with Health Progress, Mrs. Clinton discusses tough issues in achieving the system she envisions and the role of Catholic healthcare organizations in a reformed system. Here are her remarks.