VICTOR FUCHS, the Henry J. Kaiser Jr. Professor of Economics and of Health Research and Policy, Emeritus, has been thinking, writing and speaking about health policy longer than anyone involved in the current reform process.
Considered the dean of American health economists, Fuchs is best known for his 1999 book Who Shall Live? In the past two years alone, Fuchs has written a dozen articles that have appeared in such publications as Journal of the American Medical Association, New England Journal of Medicine and Health Affairs.
These 12 articles combined, contain perhaps a fraction of the verbiage - and are easier to digest - than the bills being debated in Congress. They contain a wealth of ideas to bring about true improvement in the way we allocate healthcare and steps that we need to take to control spending.
For instance, in one article, titled “Health Reform: Getting the Essentials Right,” Fuchs proposes that serious health policy reform needs to pay attention to the four C’s: coverage, cost control, coordinated care and choice.
The Stanford Institute for Economic Policy Research has compiled a booklet of Fuchs’ writings, which is available on its website.
The future of healthcare reform remains uncertain; however, Fuchs’ ideas will continue to merit serious consideration.
-Michelle Mosman
