Commentary: the health policy agenda basic benefits package: implications for the uninsured

With 37 million individuals lacking insurance, coverage for health services has become a national economic issue of growing importance. The Health Policy Agenda, a broad-based, consensus-oriented consortium, recently took a major step toward answering the question of what benefits all Americans should have. Chaired by former Utah Governor Scott M. Matheson, a Health Policy Agenda ad hoc committee developed a model basic benefits package to serve as a nonmandatory guide for both public and private health insurance plans.