The Role of Federal Government in Health Care

As in all industrialized nations, the U.S. government plays a large role in the financing, organizing, overseeing—and in some instances—even delivery of health care. Proposed health reform legislation would clearly change the status quo—and a new policy brief from Health Affairs and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation presents the facts in explaining the implications of the current debate on our health care system. The policy brief explains three of the key issues currently attracting attention and sets the record straight on what is true now for patients, payers and providers—and what could change under the health reform legislation being discussed. Topics covered in the brief are:

• the federal government’s role in financing and delivering care;
• lowering the rate of growth in Medicare spending; and
• advance-care planning for serious illness.

The brief was featured at an event in DC last week covered by C-SPAN.