Health Affairs, 25, no. 6 (2006): w540-w543 (Published online 24 October 2006) doi: 10.1377/hlthaff.25.w540 © 2006 by Project HOPE	New Online   Pay Cuts For Medicare Docs   Access To Care Woes   Public Coverage More Efficient   Empowering Consumers

This Article Full Text (HTML) Reprint (PDF) Submit a response to this article View responses Alert me when this article is cited Alert me when eLetters are posted Alert me if a correction is posted Services E-mail this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Add to My Personal Archive Download to Citation Manager Reprints & Permissions Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Goodman, J. C. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Goodman, J. C. Related Collections Insurance Market Business Of Health Consumer Issues Health Reform Insurance - Employer-Based System Managed Care - Consumers Quality Of Care Health Spending

Web Exclusives

PERSPECTIVE

What Is Consumer-Directed Health Care?

To control health care costs, someone must choose between health care and other uses of money. The value of most health care is experienced subjectively, as is the value of other goods and services. No one is in a better position to make these subjective trade-offs than patients themselves. The current system not only systematically denies patients the opportunity to make such choices, it distorts the incentives of providers in the process. Chronic patients in particular would be much better off if they could manage more of their own health care dollars and if providers were free to compete to meet their needs.

                      What's this?

This article has been cited by other articles:

				M. G. Bloche Consumer-Directed Health Care And The Disadvantaged Health Aff., September 1, 2007; 26(5): 1315 - 1327. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

eLetters: