The purpose of this blog

I am starting this blog to promote conversation among informed professionals in medicine and public policy as well as other people with a serious interest in reforming the American medical care system. As of 2009 medical care accounts for about one sixth of the American economy, a figure which has been constantly increasing for many years. The increasing dissatisfaction with the current arrangements suggests that something needs to be done, but there is obviously little agreement about just what this should be. I hope our discussions will help to make the decisions which are going to be made at the national level in the next few years to be good ones.