Leadership for America

Protect America

Providing every American freedom of choice in health care.

Read more about Health Care

Statement of Purpose

The United States spends $2.6 trillion on health care, roughly 17 percent of the gross domestic product. Additionally, government is responsible for approximately 50 cents out of every dollar spent on health care because of the huge and rapidly growing government health care programs: Medicare, Medicaid, SCHIP, and state and public health care programs. The result of so much government control is that health care is one of the most highly regulated sectors of the American economy. Government financing means government control, and government control means less personal freedom.

Objectives

  1. 1.Transform private health insurance so that individuals and families are able to own and control their own policies and take them from job to job without tax or regulatory penalties. Currently, nine percent of Americans directly purchase their own health insurance. We want this figure to increase to 50 percent in 10 years.

  2. 2.Transform health care financing to create new opportunities for individuals and families so they control the flow of dollars into the system. Currently, only $3.50 out of every $100 is spent by individuals for the direct purchase of private coverage. We want to increase that amount to $50 out of every $100 over the next 10 years.

  3. 3.Transform Medicare, Medicaid, and SCHIP so that individuals and families have a broad choice of health plans and providers and that those providers are directly accountable to patients for their quality of care.

Experts From This Initiative

  • Edmund Haislmaier Edmund Haislmaier

    An expert in health care policy and markets at The Heritage Foundation, Edmund F. Haislmaier frequently is asked to help lawmakers d...

  • Robert Moffit, Ph.D. Robert Moffit, Ph.D.

    Robert E. Moffit, a seasoned veteran of more than three decades in Washington policymaking, is The Heritage Foundation’s senior fellow i...

  • Nina Owcharenko Nina Owcharenko

    As director of the Center for Health Policy Studies, Nina Owcharenko oversees The Heritage Foundation’s research and policy prescription...

  • Kathryn Nix Kathryn Nix

    Kathryn Nix analyzes and writes about health policy and entitlement reform as a policy analyst in the Center for Health Policy Studies a...

  • James C. Capretta

    Visiting fellow James C. Capretta analyzes and writes on a range of domestic and economic issues while specializing in health care refor...

  • Stuart Butler, Ph.D. Stuart Butler, Ph.D.

    Stuart M. Butler, a nationally recognized architect of public policy, directs the Center for Policy Innovation. This new division of The...

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