Some see an empowered consumer as the solution to our cost and quality problems in healthcare. Others have significant concerns with this scenario. They worry about a future in which consumers make short-term decisions to save money on their health, creating huge consequences later in life. They also worry that healthy, educated people will thrive while the sick and uninformed are bewildered by choices and forced to pay more to obtain healthcare. Ultimately, the question is not whether consumerism in healthcare is good or bad, since it is an unstoppable trend. The question is how to make it work well for patients and society.