> Getting consumers involved I have never understood how this is supposed to work. I can imagine shopping around for things that are a) have perfect substitut

> Getting consumers involved I have never understood how this is supposed to work. I can imagine shopping around for things that are a) have perfect substitutes and b) aren’t urgent. For example, maybe you’d pay a bit more for an MRI of your painful knee if it were at a convenient time or in a nicer facility, vs. 5am in a cold bore with no movie or other frills. Perhaps you opt for a cheaper generic or a twice-a-day pill instead of the more expensive extended-release version. Everything else comes with some fairly tricky cost-benefit analysis. How badly do I need to be screened for this or that? If something is missed now, how much worse will it be later—-and how much will it cost then? I’m skeptical that a half hour on WebMD will do much to improve on a trained doctor’s recommendation.