title: For more than forty years, policy makers and policy analysts have debated   the relative merits of regulation versus competition as strategies to contain   health care costs.
authors.forename: Michael S
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Sparer
mesh_terms: D003363:Cost Control; D004465:Economic Competition; D005102:Health Expenditures; D006291:Health Policy / Q000191:economics*; D006801:Humans; D006278:Medicare / Q000191:economics; D011050:Policy Making; D012052:Reimbursement, Incentive; D014481:United States