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Health and the welfare of U.S. business.
Harv Bus Rev. 1993 Mar-Apr; 71(2):125-32.HB

Abstract

Business leaders continue to blame the skyrocketing cost of health care for jeopardizing the global competitiveness of U.S. industries, and they continue to turn to Washington for the solution. Yet after a study of 16 countries, Wharton researchers David Brailer and R. Lawrence Van Horn have discovered that health care costs do not directly hinder U.S. competitiveness. Their conclusion: there is indeed a health care crisis in the United States as well as a competitiveness crisis. But the two are unrelated, and confusing them makes it difficult to solve either one. The real problem, according to the authors, is the hands-off approach that employers typically adopt when it comes to health care. No matter how Washington responds to the health care crisis, employers must explore their own role in ensuring the health of their work force. And they must realize that their role can be a strategic one. Instead of containing costs by fine-tuning benefits packages, companies can control costs and improve health care delivery by treating health care like any other crucial component of production. Brailer and Van Horn propose three strategies for managing health care delivery: First, companies must intervene in the supply side of the health care market. This may mean creating a clinic alone or with other companies, or joining with other companies to procure health care. Second, companies need to translate corporate health benefits into the most cost-effective set of services at the local level. Finally, companies must encourage and educate employees to participate in decisions regarding health care delivery.(

ABSTRACT

TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Authors+Show Affiliations

Brailer DJ
Wharton School of Business.
Van Horn RL
No affiliation info available

MeSH

Costs and Cost AnalysisDecision Making, OrganizationalDelivery of Health CareEconomic CompetitionEmployer Health CostsHealth Benefit Plans, EmployeeIndustryModels, OrganizationalPlanning TechniquesUnited States

Pub Type(s)

Journal Article

Language

eng

PubMed ID

10124633

Citation

Brailer, D J., and R L. Van Horn. "Health and the Welfare of U.S. Business." Harvard Business Review, vol. 71, no. 2, 1993, pp. 125-32.
Brailer DJ, Van Horn RL. Health and the welfare of U.S. business. Harv Bus Rev. 1993;71(2):125-32.
Brailer, D. J., & Van Horn, R. L. (1993). Health and the welfare of U.S. business. Harvard Business Review, 71(2), 125-32.
Brailer DJ, Van Horn RL. Health and the Welfare of U.S. Business. Harv Bus Rev. 1993 Mar-Apr;71(2):125-32. PubMed PMID: 10124633.
* Article titles in AMA citation format should be in sentence-case
TY - JOUR T1 - Health and the welfare of U.S. business. AU - Brailer,D J, AU - Van Horn,R L, PY - 1993/2/7/pubmed PY - 1993/2/7/medline PY - 1993/2/7/entrez SP - 125 EP - 32 JF - Harvard business review JO - Harv Bus Rev VL - 71 IS - 2 N2 - Business leaders continue to blame the skyrocketing cost of health care for jeopardizing the global competitiveness of U.S. industries, and they continue to turn to Washington for the solution. Yet after a study of 16 countries, Wharton researchers David Brailer and R. Lawrence Van Horn have discovered that health care costs do not directly hinder U.S. competitiveness. Their conclusion: there is indeed a health care crisis in the United States as well as a competitiveness crisis. But the two are unrelated, and confusing them makes it difficult to solve either one. The real problem, according to the authors, is the hands-off approach that employers typically adopt when it comes to health care. No matter how Washington responds to the health care crisis, employers must explore their own role in ensuring the health of their work force. And they must realize that their role can be a strategic one. Instead of containing costs by fine-tuning benefits packages, companies can control costs and improve health care delivery by treating health care like any other crucial component of production. Brailer and Van Horn propose three strategies for managing health care delivery: First, companies must intervene in the supply side of the health care market. This may mean creating a clinic alone or with other companies, or joining with other companies to procure health care. Second, companies need to translate corporate health benefits into the most cost-effective set of services at the local level. Finally, companies must encourage and educate employees to participate in decisions regarding health care delivery.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS) SN - 0017-8012 UR - https://www.unboundmedicine.com/medline/citation/10124633/Health_and_the_welfare_of_U_S__business_ L2 - https://antibodies.cancer.gov/detail/CPTC-SLAMF8-1 DB - PRIME DP - Unbound Medicine ER -