Turning swords into plowshares: lessons from the military health system

Policymakers are searching everywhere for examples of how best to reform the nation's health care system. A major reform model from an unexpected quarter--the U.S. military--is making great strides forward and contains many of the ingredients in the national reform debate: global budgeting, pooled-payer funding, private industry competition, managed care, prevention, and reallocation of resources.