Health Care 1976: Costs and Consequences
Authors: HERMAN M. SOMERS
Journal: Annals of Internal Medicine (1976)

Editorials1 February 1976Health Care 1976: Costs and ConsequencesHERMAN M. SOMERS, PH.D.HERMAN M. SOMERS, PH.D.Search for more papers by this authorAuthor, Article, and Disclosure Informationhttps://doi.org/10.7326/0003-4819-84-2-211 SectionsAboutPDF ToolsAdd to favoritesDownload CitationsTrack CitationsPermissions ShareFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditEmail ExcerptSo much has been written about the relentless growth of health-care costs that the subject has become tiresome to most professionals. As a result, when physicians react with irritation against the rapid spread of regulatory measures such as utilization review, certificate-of-need laws, the new health planning law, and the like, many seem to forget that all these measures—whatever the label or apparent immediate purpose—spring from the persistence of rising health-care costs. It may be worth the risk of repetition to restate what has been happening.Present government estimates indicate that when official data are published in February 1976, they will...References1. WORTHINGTON N: National health expenditures, 1929-74. Soc Security Bull, p. 5, Vol. 38, February 1975 Google Scholar2. Monthly Statistical Report: Summary of Selected Price, Cost, and Utilization Data for the Health Care Market in the United States. Washington, D.C., Office of Research and Statistics, Social Security Administration, p. 8, September 1975 Google Scholar3. See Reference 1, pp. 5, 16 Google Scholar4. The Administration's 1975 Budget; The Health Budget. Washington, D.C., Institute of Medicine, National Academy of Sciences, June 1974, p. 21 Google Scholar5. SOMERSSOMERS HA: Major issues in national health insurance. Milbank Memorial Fund Q 177-210, Vol. 50, No. a, Part 1, April 1972 CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar6. Government controls: how far will they go? Med Economics, Vol. 52, September 29, 1975 MedlineGoogle Scholar7. Editorial. Am Med News, August 26, 1974 Google Scholar8. SOMERS H: Health and public policy. Inquiry 12:87-96, June 1975 MedlineGoogle Scholar9. Towards A National Policy of Health Promotion and Consumer Health Education. Report of the Task Force on Consumer Health Education to the National Conference on Preventive Medicine. Washington, D.C., Fogarty International Center, National Institutes of Health, 1975 Google Scholar This content is PDF only. To continue reading please click on the PDF icon. Author, Article, and Disclosure InformationAffiliations: Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs Princeton University Princeton, New Jersey PreviousarticleNextarticle Advertisement FiguresReferencesRelatedDetails Metrics Cited byChoosing between apples and applesIntravenous Antibiotic Therapy at HomeH. GRANT STIVER, M.D., F.R.C.P.(C), GORDON O. TELFORD, M.D., F.R.C.P.(C), JANA M. MOSSEY, Ph.D., DENNIS D. COTE, M.Sc.(Pharm), ELIZABETH J. VAN MIDDLESWORTH, B.Sc.(Pharm), SHARON K. TROSKY, R.N., NORMA L McKAY, B.N., WILFRED L. MOSSEY, M.S.P.H.The Federal Trade Commission Enters a New Arena: Health Services 1 February 1976Volume 84, Issue 2Page: 211-212KeywordsHealth careHealth care utilization Issue Published: 1 February 1976 PDF downloadLoading ...