Experts in health care policy reached a consensus on a set of concrete, feasible steps that show promise for slowing spending growth and improving quality in health care.

How do we define competitiveness, and is it worth pursuing as a policy goal? In what ways do countries compete in various areas, including education, intellectual property, health care and taxes? This AEI conference will be the first of a two-part series in which scholars will present new research on competitiveness. Each paper will be presented by its author(s), followed by comments from an expert and questions from the audience.

Can our slow-growing and debt-ridden economy "afford" to limit future spending on health care? Health-sector boosters point to the industry's long record of creating more jobs and growing faster than the rest of the economy. But a number of recent warning signs indicate what cannot go on forever will not, and a rebalancing of our future spending patterns might be good economic medicine.

According to the latest federal economic report and many respected economists, American workers in all industries are growing more productive at a faster rate than they were before 1995 as a result of technological innovation and adoption. However, the influence of technology on productivity in the health care industry...

The health care system is ready for change, but to make it better, politicians should embrace five principles for designing effective, sustainable reform.

Politicians are striving to legislate improvements in medical quality without asking why our current market arrangements have put too little emphasis on quality and consumer satisfaction.