Question: One of the trends marking the continuing transformation of the U.S. health care industry is the dramatic increase in the pace of competition. The heightened competition is taking place among hospitals, among health plans, among physician groups, among drug companies, between physicians and hospitals, and between hospitals and health plans.

Prepare a three- to five-page paper that includes the following:

· Description of the different forms of competition that take place in health care amongst the various types of health care organizations.

· Evaluation of the benefits and pitfalls of competition in health care and suggest alternatives if competition were not the prime drivers of operations in the U.S. health care system.

· Explanation of the essence of successful competition and the use of competitive intelligence.

· Description of the influence competition has on the services offered by health care organizations and the choices patients have.