Wanting it all: the challenge of reforming the U. S. health care system - a conference sponsored by the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston

How should we value ? and pay for ? health care? How can we ensure that medical progress continues unabated and that its blessings are equitably distributed? How do we prevent future health care commitments from absorbing resources that might better be spent on other important components of current and future well-being? Finally, is the key to maintaining balance among these goals to be found in better functioning markets, better regulation, better information, better IT management, or in a better understanding of human behavior? ; This conference brought together economists, health practitioners, and policymakers to explore the best ways to measure, finance, and distribute the benefits of modern health care.