From Deseret News archives:
Health-care industry divided
Experts can't agree on where the problems lie
Remarks from representatives of different parts of the industry showed they could not agree on even the most fundamental question of whether the current health-care system is broken, or, if it is, to what degree.
John T. Nielsen, health-care reform adviser to Gov. Jon Huntsman Jr., said "the status quo is unacceptable and unsustainable." Lane Beattie, president and chief executive officer of the Salt Lake Chamber, called for "real," comprehensive reform, adding, "We have got to make changes." Judith Hilman, executive director of the Utah Health Policy Project, said there is "no doubt the system is broken."
Those and other speakers discussed a variety of topics at the conference, presented by the National Federation of Independent Business. Each suggested ways to approach reform, but differences abounded.
State Rep. Jim Dunnigan, R-Taylorsville, warned that any government solution might have unintended consequences. Nielson, however, said a single-payer, government-sponsored system "is still on the table." Atkinson cited studies that indicate most people think government needs to play a role.
Beattie said reform will take two to three years to put in place, while Hilman said it would take three to four years and should be sure to address cost, quality and access simultaneously. Gessell said the big issues should be addressed first but that reform is "not going to happen if we do it incrementally." Atkinson pushed for sequential change, saying that unless costs are controlled first, the result will be adding the many uninsured to a "sick" system.
Recent comments
According to public records, John T. Nielsen, who is cited in the...
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