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| EST. READ TIME 1 MIN.How Private Hospital Competition Can Improve Canadian Health Care
The Alberta proposal raises three issues. First, do for-profit hospitals perform better than non-profit ones? Second, do private hospitals (either for-profit or non-profit) perform better than government-run (public) ones? Third, does intensified competition among hospitals enhance or reduce medical care? Each of these issues has been extensively studied by economists and health policy analysts.In a forthcoming bill (February 2000), the Alberta government has proposed permitting the provision of surgical services by private hospitals. Will this proposal improve health care delivery? A thorough review of the medical economics literature indicates that it will.
The Alberta proposal raises three issues. First, do for-profit hospitals perform better than non-profit ones? Second, do private hospitals (either for-profit or non-profit) perform better than government-run (public) ones? Third, does intensified competition among hospitals enhance or reduce medical care? Each of these issues has been extensively studied by economists and health policy analysts.
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Martin Zelder
Martin Zelder is a senior associate at Analysis Group Economics, a Boston-based consulting firm. Previously, he was Director of HealthPolicy Research at The Fraser Institute. He has held faculty positions at the College of William and Mary, and the Australian National University, as well as visiting positions at Northwestern University School of Law, and Michigan State University. He received his Ph.D. from the University of Chicago, where he completed his dissertation under Nobel Laureate Gary S. Becker.… Read more Read Less…
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