The always-enlightening Atul Gawande evaluates the new health-care bill’s efforts (or lack thereof) to control runaway health-care costs. The bill, which has been widely criticized for its lack of significant cost reductions, proposes a few small pilot programs aimed at cost containment. As Gawande writes: “[W]here we crave sweeping transformation, however, all the current bill offers is those pilot programs, a battery of small-scale experiments. The strategy seems hopelessly inadequate to solve a problem of this magnitude. And yet — here’s the interesting thing — history suggests otherwise.” He goes on to compare health care reform to the agricultural reform that transformed the nation (and the world) in the early 1900′s and was implemented piecemeal in a series of small experimental programs. Gawande concludes on a hopeful note: “[I]f we’re willing to accept an arduous, messy, and continuous process we can come to grips with a problem even of this immensity. We’ve done it before.” [%comments]
The Power of Pilot Programs
TAGS: healthcare
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Pilot programs beat the Great Leap Forward.
I’m a bit skeptical. If the pilot programs are really so great. Why not just have the pilot programs and scrap the rest? It would be a cheap, quick bill that probably would have wide, if not enthusiastic, support.
“The bill ,,, has been widely criticized for its lack of significant cost reductions.”
Really? I thought rather the opposite was true. The Republicans are complaining no end about cost reductions to Medicare.
Yes, agricultural policy in the U.S. is such a resounding success.
Just what I want: Massive, politically motivated, endless, market-distorting subsidies for healtcare as well as for agriculture.
Oh wait, State and Federal Governments already do that to healthcare, which is the main reason why healthcare is such a mess, followed closely by trial lawyers.
And to think that some doctors will get paid to not treat patients in order to keep prices high, just like farmers are paid to not grow crops.
Brilliant.
That’s how the military does it– Invade small weak countries frequently to practice for wars with big ones.
It’s worth noting that the state of agriculture in our country–specifically, large-scale production considerations and profit-driven processing–are arguably responsible for the healthcare epidemic (obesity, diabetes, heart disease) currently elevating our health costs.
Jeez, I would take a million small pilot programs over the single giant experiment the Obama administration seems bent on launching us all on.
I really wonder what portion of increased ag production came from the USDA and what part came from technology. The 2 aren’t completely independent, but the current system of crazy ag subsidies isn’t something I want for health care.