I agree with part of what DocDerez and zip said as well. But the system is simply set up to make it almost impossible for some people to attain quality health insurance; it's really not a matter of priorities anymore.
Here's what I think needs to happen:
*Ability to sell across state lines.
*Pre-existing conditions reform - meaning dropping some of the ridiculous guidelines in place now for insurance underwriters.
*A safety net for those out of work - and earnestly trying to find it - much like unemployment benefits, to cover until they can afford it again.
*Do away with plans that render people underinsured due to lack of real coverage in the plan.
*Do away with employer-sponsored plans. I realize some companies want to keep this as part of the compensation package, but I don't want to be stuck with an employer I'm displeased with just for the insurance. All plans should be individual and transferable (from job to job).
*A means for those stuck in the middle, i.e. make too much for a government-sponsored plan and too little for a private plan, to afford coverage. In other words, make it affordable.
Everyone always complains about government bureaucracy, i.e. reimbursement issues, but what about insurance company bureaucracy? An example of this is the fee-for-procedure arrangement that exists now for physicians. Physicians are paid for each service they provide, so in order to pay bills and salaries, it is in their best interest to order expensive tests that a patient may not need.
Also, for example, if you go to a dermatologist for a regular check-up and she/he finds a suspicious mole, it can't be removed that day (in what would take about five minutes) while you're already there. You have to come for a follow-up visit to have it removed and biopsied because that's how insurance companies pay physicians.
So, last on the list...
*Physicians should be paid a salary and allowed to do what they were taught in medical school: treat patients.