Overutilization, Overutilized

This article traces how the term overutilization has spread in popularity from a relatively small community of mid-twentieth-century insurance experts to economists, physicians, epidemiologists, and eventually the news media of the early twenty-first century. A quick glimpse at the history of the term reveals that there has been constant disagreement and debate over the meaning and impact of overutilization. Moreover, the term has been put to very different uses, from keeping socialism at bay to preserving the fiscal integrity of Medicare to protecting the health of patients. The overutilization narrative, seductive in its promise of cutting costs without sacrificing access to quality care, too often drowns out other difficult conversations about social welfare, health equity, prices, and universal coverage.

Source: Journal of Health Politics, Policy and Law - May 19, 2015 Category: Health Management Authors: Levine, D., Mulligan, J. Tags: Health Policy & Education, Political Science, General, Public Policy Behind the Jargon Source Type: research