Forgotten Consumers: The History of Medicine as a Marketplace

The health system is yearning to be a freer market. 

The history of modern health begins with medical care as a freely available ‘consumer good’ that was regulated by a royal decree. Now we have come full circle. The system is straining under its own weight and lack of flexibility.

Does Australia’s health system need to get worse before it can get better?

In 2010, governments across the world will redouble their efforts to reform healthcare. 

Indeed, in most countries, they have been trying for decades. But a recent economic jolt reminded us just how tenuous our prosperity is and has given us a new sense of urgency.

But will this renewed impetus, perhaps embodied in Obama´s efforts, allow health reform to succeed in Australia, the USA and elsewhere? Will we be able to reduce costs and improve efficiency? What will the future of our health look like?