tapman.net

There's a lot of talk these days (alright, for at least the last 20 years) about the rising costs of health care in America. It's an obvious problem for virtually everyone because we all end up paying for health-related stuff at one point or another. A less prominent aspect of the situation is the government's stated desire to reduce costs through direct action.

This is an interesting statement, not often do you see the federal government say "We are going to reduce the cost of X." In fact, I can't actually think of another industry that the government actually tries to push towards lower costs. Food stuffs, such as corn, are in fact kept at higher prices by the federal government in order to make sure that farmers receive enough money to keep going next year.

An opinion piece in the New York Times by Beane, Gingrich, and Kerry recommends this approach:

Working closely with doctors, the federal government and the private sector should create a new institute for evidence-based medicine. This institute would conduct new studies and systematically review the existing medical literature to help inform our nation’s over-stretched medical providers. The government should also increase Medicare reimbursements and some liability protections for doctors who follow the recommended clinical best practices. http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/24/opinion/24beane.html?partner=permalink...

I'm not sure that I'm ready to sign up right now, but in general I think this is a decent way for the government to directly impact the price of health care without directly interfering with the financial transactions between individuals, businesses, and doctors. I'm always a big fan of the government providing information in order to help people make informed decisions.