Health care reform should slow down

My business, LDI Ltd., has been located in Indiana for nearly one century. We have achieved success by focusing on
long-term value and growth and by making prudent, sometimes tough business decisions. I am writing because I have closely
followed the debate on health care reform and am questioning some of the decisions being made by our legislators in Congress.
 

Health care is a very complex matter that took a long time reaching its current level. While I am not an
expert on health care, I firmly believe that our nation needs to address the many issues regarding the cost and delivery of
health care. I am very concerned that Congress is moving too fast and will create a “quick fix” that will
add measurably to our national debt and that government bureaucracy will fail to deliver what we all want.

Federal
government spending is on track to drive the nation’s debt to over 100 percent of gross domestic product by 2023 and
past 200 percent of GDP by 2030—even without the addition of a government-run health plan. Many economists believe
that this level of spending is unsustainable.

Why not commit to health care reform by 2012 and go slower addressing,
incrementally, issues that can be solved (e.g. access, portability, tort abuse, pre-existing conditions, greater consumer
involvement) and eventually create a comprehensive plan that meets predetermined principles that are agreed upon. After all,
choosing a long-term approach versus a quick fix typically leads to the best outcomes for all involved. 

__________

Andre B. Lacy