An American partnership for universal coverage

The United States must address its health care problems head on to ensure a thriving middle class and global competitiveness. Many employers are ambivalent about their future role as sponsors of health coverage and poolers of health risk and skeptical about government solutions. Nonetheless, employers have often been innovative purchasers of health care, and they maintain an interest in investing in public health/prevention and research to develop stronger evidence about efficacy. Whether or not employers want to remain the dominant mechanisms for pooling risk and purchasing coverage, they must partner with government and consumers to send stronger, more consistent signals to providers to deliver value.