Can we spend less AND improve quality?

Discussing 'the essentials' and beyond

In Part One of our Curbside Consult interview, Michael explains the Affordable Care Act's essential benefits ... what should and shouldn't be covered and the difficulty in determining what's "essential."

In Part Two of the interview, we continue our discussion of how the essential benefits package was defined. Michael also talks about whether young people will feel "sticker shock" due to more expansive coverage under health reform and whether Americans should be scared about a long-term increase in costs for Medicare, Medicaid and other health insurance.

In Part Three, we talk about how health care providers are trying to become more efficient, and whether Medicare should change the way providers are paid to facilitate that move toward efficiency. We also look at a recent Time magazine article about the high price of medical care and use it as a springboard to a discussion of strategies for controlling costs in the system.

In Part Four of the interview, we spend a few minutes talking about medical cost effectiveness, touch on Medicare costs and Boomers' retirement, and I ask whether financing Medicare means we just need to bite the bullet and raise significantly more tax revenue.

I hope you enjoy our conversation.

at the University of Chicago. He has written about health policy for the Washington PostNew York TimesNew RepublicThe Huffington Post