dr. glen melmeck. he has traveled very far to be with us today. he is a professor at the university of southern california policycalifornia, chf policy planning. >> thank you for calling me for this important issue. i am afraid this is going to be one of a series of meetings that you will have in the future, given the high cost of health care, the complexity, the need to address those issues. i am also happy to be here -- originally, i was thinking of not coming, but your charming and persuasive staff was able to change my mind. also, i am ablhappy to tease my northern california professors. southern california is represented well here. happy to be here. i will be talking about health- care competition. the key themes i will be addressing, price competition can work in health care. has benefited california health- care consumers. that consolidation and other actions have reduced that competition and it has led to higher prices and increase spending as a result. policies are needed to restore competition, to the competitive structure of the health-