Friday, November 20, 2009

Former U.S. Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist on the Status of Health Care Reform

Posted at 4:32 PM

More than 200 health care and business leaders participated in the Greater Philadelphia Chamber of Commerce’s forum today on Examining Health Care Reform, featuring Former U.S. Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist.

As a Harvard-trained heart transplant surgeon, professor of medicine and business at Vanderbilt, and prolific author, Sen. Frist is regarded as one of the most influential leaders in national health care.

Dr. Frist kicked off a compelling discussion on the status of health care reform with panelists Jack Carroll, Ph.D., Magee Rehabilitation Hospital; Joseph A. Frick, Independence Blue Cross; James A. Goodyear, M.D., Pennsylvania Medical Society; Peter Turner, CSL Behring; and moderator Paul H. Keckley, Ph.D., of Deloitte Center for Health Solutions. Although reform is one of the most complex issues facing our nation, the consensus among some of the region’s top leaders in the health care arena is that the current health care system is unsustainable.

Frist expressed great concern over the cost of health care reform especially considering our country’s current financial crisis.

“Making the situation more challenging is a $12 trillion deficit, which is greater than the last four years combined,” said Dr. Frist. “What’s really bad is that it will go up another $9 trillion before health care reform is considered.” 

To read more about the event, click here.

To view Bill Frist's presentation, click here.

See FOX 29's interview with Dr. Frist here.