These lectures review the research and experience on the subject of health care economy. The author also sets down a moderately rigorous statement of the economic concepts underlying the kind of competition that he regards as the most promising way to achieve a reasonable degree of equity and efficiency in health care. The first lecture is on the public policy goals of health care financing and delivery and discusses efficiency in health care. The second presents an economic analysis of the systems for organizing and financing medical care systems in the United States. The third lecture is about ``managed competition'', and the fourth reviews American experience with efforts to convert from the traditional system to a competitive system.The book is addressed primarily to economists, health policy makers and health services researchers. It explains how market forces may be managed in pursuit of equity and efficiency in health care. It addresses systematically many of the causes of market failure and proposes a strategy (``managed competition'') for overcoming them. It should be of interest to policy makers in any country interested in incentives for more efficient health care delivery. It should also be very useful supplemental reading for courses in health care economics.

Pamphlet from the vertical file.

Examines the potential of the managed competition approach to reduce the level & rate of growth of national health expenditures, & the specific features of managed competition that could generate significant savings.

The Congress is considering a range of alternatives for reforming the health care system. This study, requested by the Subcommittee on Health of the House Committee on Ways and Means, examines the potential of the managed competition approach to reduce the level and rate of growth of national health expenditures, and the specific features of managed competition that could generate significant savings. In keeping with the Congressional Budget Office's (CBO's) mandate to provide objective and impartial analysis, this study contains no recommendations.

As the debate on health care delivery systems in the U.S. continues, the pharmaceutical industry and pharmaceutical care delivery system may well be faced with making significant changes if new drug regulations are enacted. Because there is little discussion on the effects of managed competition on the pharmaceutical care delivery system and the education of pharmacists, those involved in providing pharmaceutical care must arm themselves with the background information and ideas explored in Managed Competition and Pharmaceutical Care. The contributors to this vital sourcebook address these key questions: What are the major components of a managed competition system? What challenges will industry and the pharmaceutical care delivery system face? How should the industry re-engineer--using systems management as opposed to components management--to meet the needs of an evolving health care system? What actions should pharmaceutical companies take to survive difficult days in the future? Why and how should pharmacists move from dispensing drugs to providing total pharmaceutical care? What do employers want for their prescription benefit dollars? How have past and present initiatives to control drug pricing affected the pharmaceutical marketplace? Why is regulating prices not a satisfactory solution to containing health care costs? What criteria are used to determine whether to include a drug in a managed care formulary? How can community pharmacists compete in the marketplace, regardless of which health care system emerges? What is the future likely to bring and how can pharmacists prepare for that future? Managed Competition and Pharmaceutical Care assists those involved in the pharmaceutical care delivery system to prepare for and embrace new, or at the least, drastically changed health care delivery in the coming years.