The chronic malfunctioning of healthcare markets suggests a simple solution. Instead of restricting individual consumers, let them exercise choice. It works in other markets: why not in health care? The usual answer has been that consumers of medical services lack the information to make informed choices. In an emergency everyone must rely upon the professional skills and commitment of the local hospital. But at other times too, patients are bound to look to their doctors to guide them through the complexities of medicine. If doctors are hard-pressed to master an ever-growing volume of clinical research, what hope for the lay person? This information gap makes it much more difficult to exercise consumer power in health care than in other markets. Decisions about treatment are delegated to the very physicians who also provide and commission medical care. This is why some health economists favour government intervention, so that a powerful single payer can counter the might of medical providers.
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