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The Problem Of Health Care

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Access to health care is a key element in improving health, therefore, over the past four decades reforming health care seems to have taken center stage. Since stepping out of the shadows, the idea of health care as a managed competition has been evolving. The definition of the managed competition is that of “a purchasing strategy to obtain maximum value for consumers and employers, using rules for competition derived from microeconomic principles,” (Enthoven, 1993). In a world of health care that now focuses on chronic diseases, the concept of health insurance becomes even more important; by many seen as a human right. With the change of focus from infectious disease to chronic disease health care executives, insurance and economic specialist began looking at a system that has over forty years appeared to be in dire need of reorganization and management. An ideal system would provide an efficient market as well as promote competition among various health plans. These particular managed plans would place a value on the cost of care as well as on the quality. With the value of money placed on the health care system restructure would change how patients receive services from providers. In the U.S. health care system an outline of managed competition means that a reformed system allows American’s a preference of variety, individual choice and universal coverage. This assortment of rationale would cause providers delivering care to become more cost and quality conscious.

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