Medical technology meets managed competition

Medical technology is an integral part of health care, not an expensive add-on or afterthought. Therefore, technology policy must be consistent with the approach to health care reform. Our present market has failed to generate adequate information on new technologies and perverse economic incentives have led to overutilization. In managed competition, health plans, not government, are best suited to make most technology decisions. The federal government can provide a safety valve for specific coverage decisions and can facilitate the acquisition, evaluation, and dissemination of information on new technologies.