Creating a Better Health Care System in the Wake of COVID-19: Models & Recommendations for People

United States of Care is working towards building a better, stronger and more equitable health system in the wake of COVID-19. The pandemic has illuminated long standing flaws in our health system and it is not enough simply to go back to the way it was before. This national trauma has also shone a light on persistent and growing inequities coursing through the American health care system. While the presence and magnitude of gaps in the American health care experience may be new to some, they have long been known by those whom they affect. Building a better, more equitable health system means listening to those affected by these gaps, and finding new and innovative ways to deliver affordable, high quality health care to everyone regardless of health status, social need or income.

At United States of Care, we envision a future where all people have dependable access to high-quality health care in a way that meets their unique needs at a price they can afford. This means building a better health care system based on the following outcomes:

• People have certainty that they can afford their health care.
• People have the security and freedom that dependable health care coverage provides as life changes.
• People can get the personalized care they need, when and how they need it.
• People experience a health care system that’s understandable and easy to navigate.

Likewise, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) Innovation Center (CMMI) is charged with:

• Improving patient care;
• Lowering costs and;
• Better aligning payment systems to promote patient-centered practice

In the wake of the pandemic, the Innovation Center has an important opportunity to test models of care delivery to move the system closer to one that meets the needs of people. As we developed this document, we solicited the views of a diverse cadre of our Leadership Council experts, including our Board of Directors, Founders, and Entrepreneurs Councils, which are composed of experts from the public, private, and nonprofit sectors who support both our mission and our vision for the future of health care in the United States.