The Cost of Health Care — Highlights from a Discussion about Economics and Reform

President Barack Obama has argued that health care reform is essential to the future economic health of the United States. But the economics of both health care and reform are daunting. Is it possible to pay for health care coverage for all Americans without moderating our rapidly rising health care costs? And what do we know about the best ways of achieving cost savings? On September 14, 2009, the Journal hosted a roundtable discussion about the most promising ways of slowing the growth of health care costs, their potential effects on medical practice, and the likelihood that the current health . . .