Catholic Healthcare West (CHW) developed the Health Security Index in 2007 to gauge Americans' perceptions and beliefs about their ability to access the care they need and maintain their health. The Index provides an opportunity to explore the degree to which Americans' perception of their health security aligns with or diverges from their confidence in the economy and their prospects for employment. It also brings health security into future reform discussions and establishes it as a key indicator of societal strength.

While a number of tools exist to track economic trends in the U.S. economy including consumer confidence, hiring forecasts, financial security and job satisfaction, these important measures do not provide focus on the more than 16 percent of the gross domestic product tied to healthcare.

In the United States, where access to healthcare is closely tied to employment, the health security of Americans should be part of the evaluation of consumer confidence and the economic outlook for the country. Further, healthcare access and affordability are directly related to Americans' overall wellbeing. Our economic outlook means little if the American people are not healthy.