Slowing the Growth of U.S. Health Care Expenditures: What Are the Options?," The Commonwealth Fund: The report examines trends in U.S. health care spending over the past 25 years and discusses variations in costs, as well as reasons for high costs and the rapid growth in spending. The report also examines strategies that could result in savings and slower spending growth while improving health care quality (Davis et al., "Slowing the Growth of U.S. Health Care Expenditures: What Are the Options?," January 2007).

"Value-Based Insurance Design," Health Affairs: In a Health Affairs Web exclusive, Michael Chernew, a professor of health care policy at Harvard University, and colleagues discuss the potential of value-based health insurance -- coverage that promotes receiving care when the benefits exceed the cost and discourages the use of services when the cost outweighs the benefits. The authors outline value-based insurance design, describe initiatives in the private sector and discuss barriers to adoption (Chernew et al., Health Affairs, 1/30).

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