American Values and Health Care Reform

With the national debate over health care reform careening between tired, well-rehearsed talking points, on the one hand, and deep-in-the-weeds debates over technical details, initiatives, and financing mechanisms, on the other, many people find themselves feeling frustrated and left out of the conversation. Yet most thoughtful Americans would have something meaningful to say about the values we should choose for the foundation of our system of health care.1 And by focusing on these fundamental considerations, perhaps we can deepen and broaden the discussion of values and public policy.Our discussion about health care reform is enriched, for instance, when we . . .