Perhaps one of the rays of hope in cost reform is the proposed treatment evaluation to be undertaken by conducting ‘comparative effectiveness research’. The April 5, 2010 Business Week describes this effort. If successful it will result in a sober study of costly and new treatments alongside the tried, true and often generic options when it comes to drugs. Hopefully it will look at other costly treatment interventions vs. more conservative measures. In a system where the patient has no economic incentive to get the best result for the dollar, such research is necessary and the results should be tied to what is paid for by those who are tasked with writing the checks – be they carriers or the government