The Annals of Thoracic Surgery, Vol 28, 7-13, Copyright © 1979 by The Society of Thoracic Surgeons
Impasse at the crossroads: evolution or regulation
HV Liddle
Today, the free enterprise system of health care delivery is being
challenged in the United States, where availability and consumption of
health services and their cost are epochal. Review of the health care
delivery systems of other nations reveals failure of the system when the
national medical community has been divided, when government has
monopolized the system, and when fee for service has been abandoned.
Government intervention in American health care has been increasingly
regulatory and promises to extend regulation in the immediate future. The
American medical community can respond by unifying, by reducing its
contribution to health care costs, and by changing physician behavior.
Consumers have the responsibility to eliminate unnecessary utilization and
to become more informed buyers of health care and insurance. The fiscal
intermediary has the responsibility to provide tailored insurance options
that are cost-effective. As informed and unified medical community can be a
formidable force in shaping the future of health care in the United States.
