The American health system: a contentious environment in the 21st Century

In the 21st Century, the American public and its elected officials will be unable to reach any overall consensus on our nation's health policies and priorities. With greater demands for health services and fewer fiscal resources, a more contentious environment in the health industry will ensue. As the American health system in the next 100 years continues to behave with an amalgam of competitive and regulatory approaches, it will be difficult to ensure that all Americans will receive universal access, equity, comprehensive benefits, and a high quality of care. For these reasons, the health system is predicted later on to swing away from market-driven to more state-oriented regulatory strategies as the United States attempts to blend such concepts as pluralism, regionalization of resources, and enforcing cost containment.