2009. “The Obama administration's options for health care cost control: hope versus reality.” Ann Intern Med

Controlling the costs of medical care has long been an elusive goal in U.S. health policy. This article examines the options for health care cost control under the Obama administration. The authors argue that the administration’s approach to health reform offers some potential for cost control but also embraces many strategies that are not likely to be successful. Lessons the United States can learn from other countries ’ experiences in constraining medical care spending are then explored. Ann Intern Med. 2009;150:485-489. www.annals.org For author affiliations, see end of text. This article was published at www.annals.org on 3 March 2009. The Obama administration will face no shortage of po-litical obstacles if it boldly pursues comprehensive health reform. Securing a Congressional majority for any large-scale expansion of insurance coverage is a formidable task. Yet, adopting reforms that control costs in America