Regardless of political affiliation, all Americans want healthcare reform. This is because for most Americans, access to, and delivery of healthcare, continue to fall short of their expectations – even for those who have “good insurance.”

A recent survey commissioned by the CommonWealth Fund, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, and the New York Times surveyed more than 2,000 US adults in order to uncover how their individual values and expectations align with the reality of their healthcare experience.

The survey found that 93 percent of those questioned said it was important that all Americans receive equal treatment from today’s health systems. 95 percent of survey respondents said they believed it is important that low income families receive the same quality of healthcare as wealthy families. And 80 percent of respondents answered that “all Americans should have a right to healthcare regardless of ability to pay.”

Unfortunately, there is a monumental difference between what Americans value, or seem to want from our healthcare delivery system, and how we actually experience healthcare in America. A mere 16 percent of Americans reported that they believe they are currently being treated as equally as anyone else, and one quarter of respondents said they are either somewhat or extremely unhappy with their ability to access care when they need it.

Many Americans believe the government should be more involved in healthcare. And 56 percent of Americans believe it is the government’s responsibility to ensure that all Americans have health insurance coverage. But as politicians on both sides of the aisle, and through several different administrations in recent years have learned, healthcare reform is a difficult task, for a system that is resistant to changes in existing conditions.

The survey concluded that there must be a closure in gaps between what Americans value in healthcare and what they receive. Successful reforms suggest that closing gaps can significantly improve individual’s lives.  “Such reforms appear to be more palatable to the public when they address persistent concerns about the ability to obtain affordable care, and when they acknowledge American ambivalence about government’s stewardship of the healthcare system,” the report emphasized.