Value-based formulas for purchasing. Does managed care offer value to society?

To assess whether managed care is, all things considered, a good investment for our society, we can measure its performance relative to five essential health care goals: promote efficiency; expand access; improve quality; preserve freedom of choice; and protect patient advocacy. These goals, which have shaped and continue to shape health care policy, define what is important to us in our health care system. Concerns about managed care's ability to advance these goals and thus to offer value are heightened if recently observed trends continue.