Sticking to the recipe. Develop one program with basic guidelines for improving care, effectiveness without overwhelming providers, the IOM says.

The IOM's call for a national initiative to determine best medical practices has some wondering how such an effort would work. But most everyone agrees that providers and payers are overwhelmed by data about clinical effectiveness. "Once we get an innovation, let's study it right away so we can be sure every person who could benefit gets it, or if it doesn't work, let's do no harm," says WellPoint's Samuel Nussbaum, left.