PROPOSALS FOR HEALTH-CARE REFORM - HOW DO WE EVALUATE THEM

The Society for Academic Emergency Medicine suggests a systematic appr oach to evaluating proposals for reform of the medical care system. De scribed are the three components of the problem-access, cost, and qual ity. Then, goals are proposed for health care reform. With this backgr ound, we describe the major questions that reform proposals must addre ss and the potential impact of reform on emergency medicine. Emergency physicians must actively support health reform legislation that is in the overall best interest of our patients and our specialty, and work with the new federal administration to evaluate proposed changes.