Health Care Reform and Strategic Management

For decades health care in the United States has been controversial. Many contend that it can be of the highest quality in the world, although few would argue it is the most efficient or cost effective. Others despair at our health care costs being more than double those of other developed countries as a percentage of GDP, while results are below average, particularly in the early and last years of life. In the 2009 debates on reform, some focused on coverage, while others were troubled by our spending of more than 20% of each health care cost on administrative charges, while other developed countries spend about 3%.

The shouts of socialized medicine and attendant evils have been in our political dialogue on health care since the 1960's. Yet health care has remained largely associated with the private rather than government sector. It is only now that we see half or more of health care costs covered by public sector funds and commitments.

With this as background, combined with the polarization and impasse we face regarding health care legislation, discuss what can be learned and applied from the principles of strategic management that may be of use as a catalyst to some level of resolution and progress. As part of your views you might want to comment on why health care is so difficult and complex and how it might differ from other goods and services which citizens acquire, all of which appear in some ways to be delivered much more efficiently and cost effectively than health care. You might also want to discuss the issue of whether health care is a right or a privilege and how that might complicate or perhaps expedite progress.