Third, to reaffirm the critical role consumers play in safeguarding their own health by establishing both rights and responsibilities for all participants in improving health status. The work of this Commission in establishing a Bill of Rights and Responsibilities must apply to all consumers. This includes all beneficiaries of such public programs as Medicare, Medicaid, the Department of Veterans Affairs, and the Department of Defense, as well as Federal, State, and local government employees. It also includes all those who have private insurance, including those who purchase their own insurance, those who work for companies that have self-funded health plans, and those who work for companies that purchase insurance for their employees and dependents. And, finally, to the extent possible, these rights should be accorded to those who have no health insurance but use the health care system.
Quality comes first.
Sometimes this led us to reject policy options that we believe could hinder the progress our Nation has made toward a health care system that is focused on improving quality through accountable organized systems. Preserve what works. There are elements of managed care and of indemnity coverage that must be changed to protect the rights of consumers. But there also are elements of each system that have improved quality and expanded access. We have tried to make sure that we preserve what works while we address areas that can and should be improved.