As the number of uninsured Americans grows, Ginzberg said Congress will be forced to act. Congress won't be able to ignore the problem. The symposium on managed care, which drew about 80 participants from the campus and community, was organized by Manas Chatterji, professor in the School of Management in cooperation with several local health care providers. Ginzberg, who at 87 has witnessed first hand the making of much of 20th century health care policy, said that managed care companies, after enjoying some initial success, have lost the opportunity to work out a system that accommodates patient rights, doctors, hospitals and providers. The result he said will be increased government intervention.
Money is a scarce commodity.
The only time you don't manage it is when it's an unimportant activity. When health costs were a small part of the economy as they were in the first half of the century, Ginzberg said health care was left to physicians, but that is unlikely today. The conference also included discussions on medical education, the Child Health Insurance Program and Medicare in a managed care environment.