Wall Street Comes to Washington: Market Watchers Evaluate the Health Care System

Publication Date: September 2000

Publisher: Center for Studying Health System Change

Author(s):

Research Area: Health

Type: Brief

Abstract:

Purchasers are tolerating double-digit premium increases for health plans and agreeing to employee demands for open-access products and wide choice of doctors largely because of the robust economy and tight labor markets, according to a panel of analysts at the fifth annual Wall Street roundtable convened by the Center for Studying Health System Change (HSC). The analysts, who specialize in health care companies, also discussed the challenges facing managed care and how health plans are evolving. This Issue Brief reports on these and other trends, including employers considering defined contribution approaches, techniques to control pharmaceutical spending and the impact of the Internet on the health care system.