When it comes to health care, deeply held values often guide our policy preferences. For example:

• How important is it to have a broad choice of insurance options?
• What roles should government and private business play in providing access to coverage and care?
• How much of the cost of health care should we ask people to bear if they’re healthy or sick, young or old, rich or poor?

In our new feature Health Care in America: The Values and Experiences That Could Shape Health Reform, Commonwealth Fund researchers discuss the findings of a survey that explored how Americans’ values align with their health care experiences and views on health reform. Some of the responses might surprise you — both in the areas of consensus they reveal and the stark contrasts they highlight. The survey was a joint project of the New York Times , the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, and the Commonwealth Fund.
 
We hope you’ll find the results illuminating in the continuing debate over the best ways to improve health care in America.