Our Principles for Reform

The Catholic health ministry looks forward to a health care system that truly promotes the nation's well-being and respects

We believe that health care in the U.S. should be:

Available and accessible to everyone, paying special attention to the poor and vulnerable

The system should:

Ensure that each person has a core health benefit package covering services across the life span of care.
Deliver the same level and quality of care to everyone without limits or variations based on age; race; ethnicity; financial means; or health, immigration or employment status.

Health & prevention oriented, with the goal of enhancing the health status of communities

The system should:

Make preventive care a core part of health benefits in every community and develop provider and patient incentives that reward prevention.
Improve health literacy and education to help patients play a greater role in maintaining their own health and wellness.

Sufficiently and fairly financed

The system should:

Share the responsibility of financing among all stakeholders.
Care for those who cannot help themselves by having all stakeholders, including government, employers, individuals, charitable organizations and health care providers, collectively assume responsibility.

Transparent and consensus-driven in allocation of resources, and organized for cost-effective care and administration

The system should:

Manage cost growth to promote affordability and sustainability; efficiently use facilities, equipment and services; minimize administrative expenses.
Spend resources on care that is most medically beneficial.

Patient centered and designed to address health needs at all stages of life, from conception to natural death

The system should:

Ensure that services are coordinated and integrated all along the continuum of care — the system should be truly accountable for health outcomes.
Design palliative and end-of-life care to ensure the best and most compassionate treatment for persons with serious, complex diseases and those in the final stages of life.

Safe, effective and designed to deliver the greatest possible quality

The system should:

Standardize and expand the use of information technology to improve clinical coordination, reduce medical errors and improve the patient experience.
Use evidence-based medicine to optimize outcomes and quality; prioritize patient safety by minimizing the systemic causes of errors.