Managing Health System Capacity: Market and Policy Approaches

The number of hospitals, physicians, and other providers affects the amount of care delivered to American patients and the value received from our health care spending. Some capacity expansions produce benefits that exceed their costs, yet the reverse may be true when overuse of expensive goods and services occurs.  A better understanding of the effects and drivers of capacity changes and identification of strategies to manage capacity growth are essential for improving the efficiency and quality of our health care system.

Please join the National Institute for Health Care Management for an in-depth examination of the critical issues surrounding health system capacity:

• How does the supply of hospitals, physicians, and other health care providers affect utilization of services, health spending, and quality of care?
• How can pricing be improved to remove distortions that influence relative prices and drive capacity investments and use?
• What types of informational, organizational, and financial changes could help to align providers’ incentives to deliver care more efficiently?
• What are private-sector payers and providers doing to promote more efficient use of existing capacity?
• Is state health planning an effective tool for managing system capacity?

Participate in a dynamic exchange of ideas with leading health policy and industry experts including: