State health care expenditures under competition and regulation, 1980 through 1991.
G A Melnick and
J Zwanziger
RAND, Santa Monica, CA 90407-2138, USA.
OBJECTIVES. This paper examines health expenditure growth undertwo alternative policy approaches: competition-based managedcare and state government rate regulation. METHODS. Data arepresented on cumulative growth in real per capita health expendituresbetween 1980 and 1991 so as to compare California, a state witha pro-competitive policy, with the US average and with fourstates with established regulation programs. RESULTS. Real percapita expenditures for hospital services in the United Statesgrew 54% between 1980 and 1991, while in California the growthwas half the national rate, or 27%. Real per capita expendituresfor physician services and drug expenditures in the United Statesgrew by 82% and 65%, respectively, while in California theseexpenditures increased only 58% and 41%, respectively. California'sgrowth rate was below that of all four regulatory states forall measures of health care cost inflation. CONCLUSIONS. Onthe basis of these findings, a properly structured competitiveapproach could play a significant role in controlling healthexpenditures in the United States.
Related articles in AJPH:
Containing state health care expenditures--the competition vs regulation debate.
S Glied, M Sparer, and L Brown
AJPH 1995 85: 1347-1349.
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