Cost/quality relationship in health care still poorly understood: Study

A new study examines -- and finds little clear -- on the relationship between health care quality and cost.

Medscape: Link Between Cost And Quality Of Health Care Remains Unclear
When it comes to improving health care in the United States, most discussions revolve around the twin pillars of quality and cost: Will higher expenditures result in better care, or will better clinical outcomes help to contain costs? In a review of the evidence currently available, there was no clear relationship between the two, leading the authors of an article published in the January 2013 issue of the Annals of Internal Medicine to conclude that the association between health care cost and quality is still poorly understood (MacReady, 12/31).

Meanwhile, another article looks at what happens to coverage when an employer goes out of business or drops health care.

Kaiser Health News: When Employers' Health Plans Disappear, Workers Often Have Few Options
For some people, the promise of employer-provided health insurance is reason enough to take a job or stay put in one. But unexpected events -- a corporate bankruptcy or sale, for example -- can undermine the security of on-the-job coverage and leave both employees and retirees with few affordable options (Andrews 12/31).