Comments on: HEALTH REFORM: Consumers and Competition http://healthaffairs.org/blog/2006/10/11/health-reform-consumers-and-competition/ The Policy Journal of the Health Sphere Fri, 20 Nov 2009 20:04:42 -0500 hourly 1 By: Health Affairs Blog http://healthaffairs.org/blog/2006/10/11/health-reform-consumers-and-competition/comment-page-1/#comment-1777 Health Affairs Blog Fri, 23 Mar 2007 14:59:43 +0000 http://healthaffairs.org/blog/2006/10/11/health-reform-consumers-and-competition/#comment-1777 [...] There will be different approaches to pursue value improvements, and that is fine. Alain Enthoven, for example, believes that integration of health plans and delivery systems can ultimately be more effective than our proposal for multispecialty practices organized around the patient for each medical condition. (For our deep concerns about integrating payers with providers, see our 14 March 2007 JAMA article [subscription required] and pages 165-167 of Redefining Health Care.) However, competition on results at the medical condition level will leave room for many types of practice models to prove their value. [...] [...] There will be different approaches to pursue value improvements, and that is fine. Alain Enthoven, for example, believes that integration of health plans and delivery systems can ultimately be more effective than our proposal for multispecialty practices organized around the patient for each medical condition. (For our deep concerns about integrating payers with providers, see our 14 March 2007 JAMA article [subscription required] and pages 165-167 of Redefining Health Care.) However, competition on results at the medical condition level will leave room for many types of practice models to prove their value. [...]

]]> By: Johnathon Ross http://healthaffairs.org/blog/2006/10/11/health-reform-consumers-and-competition/comment-page-1/#comment-183 Johnathon Ross Thu, 16 Nov 2006 16:25:18 +0000 http://healthaffairs.org/blog/2006/10/11/health-reform-consumers-and-competition/#comment-183 Why is the competition between providers and not against disease and disability? If cost control and quality improvement are the compeititve edge and proprietary then they will not be shared or spread to improve the health of the nation as a whole. Does Macy's tell Gimbel's? (Hmm they are both gone now aren't they). I have spent over half my life training other young physicians to be superior physicians. Many of them have stayed in my community and care for some of my friends and neighbors. They are my financial competitors but they are my colleagues in the fight against disease and disability. We should reward effeciency and quality improvement ideas when they are shared and spread throughout the system. Oh, I guess first we need a system. Maybe we should start there. Why is the competition between providers and not against disease and disability? If cost control and quality improvement are the compeititve edge and proprietary then they will not be shared or spread to improve the health of the nation as a whole. Does Macy’s tell Gimbel’s? (Hmm they are both gone now aren’t they). I have spent over half my life training other young physicians to be superior physicians. Many of them have stayed in my community and care for some of my friends and neighbors. They are my financial competitors but they are my colleagues in the fight against disease and disability. We should reward effeciency and quality improvement ideas when they are shared and spread throughout the system. Oh, I guess first we need a system. Maybe we should start there.

]]> By: bfalit http://healthaffairs.org/blog/2006/10/11/health-reform-consumers-and-competition/comment-page-1/#comment-65 bfalit Thu, 12 Oct 2006 20:45:22 +0000 http://healthaffairs.org/blog/2006/10/11/health-reform-consumers-and-competition/#comment-65 Chuck, Switzerland is a good example of a "major industrialized country that performs better than the US in cost and quality and uses competition as a mechanism to achieve performance." Check out Regina Herzlinger and Ramin Parsa-Parsi's JAMA article from a few years back - I believe it is from 2004. Chuck,

Switzerland is a good example of a “major industrialized country that performs better than the US in cost and quality and uses competition as a mechanism to achieve performance.” Check out Regina Herzlinger and Ramin Parsa-Parsi’s JAMA article from a few years back – I believe it is from 2004.

]]> By: Chuck Kilo http://healthaffairs.org/blog/2006/10/11/health-reform-consumers-and-competition/comment-page-1/#comment-57 Chuck Kilo Wed, 11 Oct 2006 21:08:04 +0000 http://healthaffairs.org/blog/2006/10/11/health-reform-consumers-and-competition/#comment-57 Alain. Greetings! Thanks for your post. Why should we believe that competition of any sort is necessary as a part of health care reform? What is the evidence that competition is necessary or desirable, or that it has had a positive effect to date? What other major industrialized country that performs better than the US in cost and quality, uses competition as a mechanism to achieve performance? Alain. Greetings! Thanks for your post.

Why should we believe that competition of any sort is necessary as a part of health care reform? What is the evidence that competition is necessary or desirable, or that it has had a positive effect to date?

What other major industrialized country that performs better than the US in cost and quality, uses competition as a mechanism to achieve performance?

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