Adding up the economic toll on the nation caused by the health care crisis, the head of the Catholic Health Association urged the United States to "act in its own best interest and in the interest of its people" to solve the problem.

Sister Carol Keehan, a Daughter of Charity who is CHA president and CEO, spoke on "Health Care Reform That Is Worthy of the American People" May 16 at the City Club of Cleveland.

The club's prestigious Friday Forum has hosted speakers that include U.S. presidents from Theodore Roosevelt to Bill Clinton, as well as public figures such as Gen. Douglas MacArthur, W.E.B. DuBois, Cesar Chavez, William Jennings Bryant, Rosa Parks, Archbishop Desmond Tutu and many more. The forum airs on a radio network in more than 40 states from Maine to Alaska.

Sister Carol presented what she called "a very ugly picture of what many people in our country are having to cope with."

With the U.S. spending 16 percent of its gross domestic product on health care and other developed countries spending a median of 8.5 percent, U.S. businesses face "a serious competitive disadvantage," she said. U.S. firms also pay twice as much for health insurance as their foreign competitors, she added, citing a study by the New America Foundation Program.

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Filed under: * Culture-Watch • Health & Medicine • * Religion News & Commentary • Other Churches • Roman Catholic

1. robroy wrote: If the issue of financing of health care financing concerns you, check out the video at Dean Munday’s blog featuring the comptroller general (head of the GAO): US Government Immorality Will Lead to Bankruptcy. May 25, 2:53 pm | [comment link]

2. Daniel wrote: O.K., so the dear sister is head of a group of Catholic health care providers who stand to benefit from government health care payouts.  That kind of squashes her objectivity in my opinion.  Also, if other countries that provide health care do such a great job, how come Canadians come across our border to get health care they have to wait long periods of time to get in their own country. I’m not saying that we don’t have a significant health care issue in this country, but I’m tired of people saying if there’s a problem let’s get the national government to solve it.  That just like taking shots at the “evil” oil companies for profiteering.  When I checked, Exxon’s profit margin for the last three years has been constant at around 15%; just about the same as IBM’s 14%.  Gee, does that mean the price of computers is too high and IBM should pay an excess profits tax? Maybe the motto of Congress and lobbyists should be “simplistic solutions for a simplistic electorate.” May 25, 5:21 pm | [comment link]

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