A reformed health-care system will allow businesses to better afford to offer coverage, and empower every American to choose and purchase insurance plans that fit their budgets. Once universal coverage is reached, the positive effects will be exponential. When every American is covered, the massive costs incurred by doctors and hospitals for treating the uninsured will no longer show up in the premiums of those with health policies. Coverage can become increasingly affordable for all.

The quality of our health-care system, too, demands attention now. Today, even as costs rise, the Rand Corporation has shown that Americans receive the recommended care for their conditions only half of the time. A revitalized system should reward doctors and hospitals for providing effective, efficient care. Cutting-edge health-care technology, better coordination among a patient’s various doctors, and efforts to improve care in rural and underserved areas can keep individual patients healthier and make the system work better as a whole.

Health costs also will go down as more people get the preventive care and the timely effective treatments they need.