Thinking About Health: Narrow networks of doctors and hospitals limit patient choice

The next time you hear someone – likely a politician or representative for a medical special interest group – argue that America’s health insurance arrangements are fine because they offer lots of choice for patients, don’t take them seriously.

What choice are they talking about? Almost anyone navigating the health system over the last decade knows that insurers have limited where they can go for care and whom they can see.

The concept of limiting patients’ choice of doctors, hospitals, and other medical services like radiology practices or speech therapy began a few decades back with HMOs. Th...