For tens of millions of families, small business owners and individuals who are not insured today, health reform provides access to affordable, high-quality coverage. It sets clear rules of the road for insurers, cracking down on waste, fraud and abuse. And it puts our budget and economy on a stable path by reducing government overspending.

The law gives patients a choice of private health insurance through competitive marketplaces, and it provides help with costs by lowering premiums and expanding tax credits. It ensures that you receive the best value for your premium dollar by requiring insurance companies to spend at least 80 percent of your premium dollars on medical care and quality improvement, rather than advertising, overhead or executive bonuses.

It also makes it easier for consumers to switch plans and providers by eliminating costly, unfair preexisting condition exclusions. And it expands Medicare Advantage plans by allowing them to offer prescription drug benefits and reduce cost sharing, such as deductibles and copayments. It also provides a new level of transparency by giving the public a chance to see how much their doctors and hospitals are spending on tests, procedures and medications.

As important as it is to make progress in the realm of healthcare reform, there are still many challenges ahead. Often, major societal changes fail because they do not play well with the people whom they are meant to serve. As such, it is vital that the attitudes of the American people become a major objective or goal of any new healthcare reform effort.