Management by objection? Public policies to protect choice in health plans

Consumer choice is a watchword of the market reforms now sweeping the U.S. health care system. Policy makers, however, must grapple with an important ambiguity: is the objective to expand choice or protect choosers, and what should be done if the two goals conflict? Concerns about health care market malfunctions trigger a politics of consumer protection that may emphasize regulatory standards over market flexibility. To complicate matters further, hopes that deluging consumers with information can ensure that choices are at once ample and prudent are likely to be disappointed.