A revolution is working its way through America’s health care systems. Like many great revolutions, it’s about empowerment and the creation of a new paradigm. It won’t happen overnight, but the forces at work are irresistible and will bring new hope and new responsibilities. The agent of change in this revolution is our long, national quest to improve the quality of health care. Its army comprises every consumer of health care—in other words, every single person reading this article, and every single person you see. Although not the ones making the diagnosis and holding the scalpel, you consumers will ultimately determine the quality of your health care. It’s time to understand the roots of this revolution, its progress and what it means for all of us.

Individual consumers are making more health care decisions on their own, a change fueled by the rapid growth of Health Savings Accounts (HSAs). About 17 million people now have an HSA and this number is expected to exceed 29 million within five years. A focus on health care quality by millions of individual payers may someday revolutionize our understanding and acceptance of the standard of care we receive.

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