A Few Thoughts About The Health-Care Marketplace

Is it time for rate-setting in the health-care marketplace? Is it time for single-payer health care? Or an end to the entire for-profit system of mis-aligned incentives? Or transparency? Can we continue in this vein?

The article Steven Brill wrote in Time magazine’s current issue about the rising cost of health care, “Bitter Pill,” has brought a great deal of attention to the problem of rising costs. And, predictably, there are a number of reactions.

Insurers are certain that providers (doctors, hospitals) are to blame. Providers blame insurers. Everybody’s upset with Big Pharma. Government comes in for its share of criticism as well — and, it seems, no one has a suggestion for a certain way out...