Control of Hospital Costs

To the Editor: Schramm's rejection of the "market solution" for hospital cost containment is timely and well reasoned (Sept. 13 issue).* His politically courageous conclusion that government must have a larger role has many implications for physicians. A larger government role necessarily implies a smaller role for physicians. Unless we use that role effectively, our advocacy for the poor, the elderly, the "outliers," and teaching institutions may be drastically reduced. Trading some acute care resources for improvements in "overall health status" is the type of decision that will require a broad national consensus. However, once (and if) achieved, implementation of . . . No extract is available for articles shorter than 400 words.