Medicare gets much-needed shot in the arm

The recently passed Medicare bill includes many provisions that will help to improve the nation's healthcare system: Allowing the private sector to deliver the prescription drug benefit by competing for consumers will result in greater choice at lower cost. Offering the option of health savings accounts promises to bring affordable coverage to the uninsured and will encourage healthcare consumers to make cost-conscious healthcare purchasing decisions. Giving hospitals an incentive to report outcomes will give consumers, for the first time, access to data they can use to make informed choices about healthcare providers.