Keith Jackson, MD – We all know in our hearts that a well functioning society should reward intelligence and hard work. This runs counter to the thinking of those who consider this concept aggressively hurtful to the stupid and lazy, but it is something we know should be true. Merit should matter. Similarly, we know that well functioning medical care should reward good care of the sick and the intelligent pursuit of seeking even better outcomes. Many things are working against merit-based reward in health care, however.
Capitalistic principles should help reward the best medical practitioners. After all, in the archetypical example, if you make the best basket, I’m more likely to part with my best pelt in trade. Merit is rewarded most reasonably with the capitalistic model. If the doctor is known to provide the best care, he will be the most financially successful. Continue reading