On February 15, the Kaiser Family Foundation hosted an event featuring a PBS documentary with former Washington Post correspondent T.R. Reid – U.S. Health Care: The Good News – which explores efforts to provide low-cost, quality health care in the U.S. The film looks at variations in health spending across the country and showcases efficient health care delivery systems, like Grand Junction in Colorado and Group Health in Seattle, suggesting that these communities demonstrate that it is feasible to provide Americans with first-rate care while still controlling the cost.

The event also featured a panel discussion, moderated by Kaiser’s Jackie Judd, to examine the issues raised in the documentary and the challenges, constraints and potential solutions for achieving affordable, effective health care in the U.S. Panelists included T.R. Reid, former Washington Post correspondent; Dr. Elliott Fisher, Professor of Medicine and Director for Population Health & Policy, The Dartmouth Institute for Health Policy & Clinical Practice; Carol Beasley, Director of Strategic Projects, Institute for Healthcare Improvement; Dr. Mark McClellan, Director, The Engelberg Center for Health Care Reform, Brookings Institution; and Sean Cavanaugh, Acting Deputy Director of Programs & Policy, Center for Medicare & Medicaid Innovation, CMS.

Agenda (.pdf)

Participant Bios (.pdf)

Transcript (.pdf)