According to competitive market theory, what effect does competition have on health care?

In competitive market theory, competition in any market generally fosters an environment where multiple providers strive to attract consumers. This competition has the primary effect of improving both prices and quality. When health care providers compete for patients, they are incentivized to lower their prices to attract more clients while also enhancing the quality of their services to stand out among rivals.

The rationale is that in a competitive market, patients have choices, and providers must meet the demands of consumers to thrive. This dynamic incentivizes innovation, better service delivery, and overall improvements in health care outcomes.

In this context, while some may argue that competition could potentially lead to reduced quality under very specific circumstances, the overarching trend in competitive markets is to uplift both quality and price efficiency as providers work hard to differentiate themselves and retain customers.