Opinion: Listen to Low-Income Residents on Health Reform

In a Kaiser Health News opinion piece, Peter Long -- president and CEO of the Blue Shield of California Foundation -- and Ian Morrison -- an author and independent health care consultant -- argue that "for health reform to truly take root, we should take our cue from the millions of low-income Californians who have the most at stake -- and let their expectations inform implementation." Long and Morrison write that a new survey conducted for the Blue Shield of California Foundation provides insight into how residents will respond to the health reform law. They conclude, "Far from the Supreme Court or Washington, D.C., how well our state and local health leaders respond to expectations of low-income Californians will ultimately determine the success of national health reform for this population."

• "Low-Income Families' Rx for Health Reform" (Long/Morrison, Kaiser Health News, 6/19).