Leaders Share Views on the Health Care Debate and Their Priorities for Change

In a new interview series launched today on the Kaiser Family Foundation's health08.org website, leaders of organizations representing health care providers, insurers, policymakers, employers, labor unions and consumers share their views on shortcomings in the nation's health care system and how it could be improved. This series, called "Viewpoints: The Health Care Debate," and led by Kaiser Vice President Jackie Judd and kaisernetwork.org  Managing Editor Jill Braden Balderas, reveals the diversity of perspectives on the problems and potential solutions for improving health care in the U.S.

http://www.health08.org/viewpoints

In these interviews, health care leaders discuss their priorities for change, including covering some or all of the 47 million uninsured Americans, reducing health care costs, improving access to care, enhancing the quality of health care and changing the tax structure to allow more people to purchase their own insurance. These leaders also share their views on the prospects for change after the 2008 election and what the next President and Congress should do to make the health system work more efficiently.

Web visitors can access interviews with:

  • Families USA Executive Director Ron Pollack; National Association of

  • Manufacturers (NAM) President and Chief Executive Officer and former

  • Governor of Michigan John Engler; National Medical Association (NMA)

  • Executive Director Dr. Mohammad Akhter; and National Governors

  • Association (NGA) Executive Director Ray Scheppach

More interviews will follow in the coming weeks, including interviews with leaders from the American Cancer Society, the American Medical Association, the AFL-CIO and many others. The interviews can be accessed on health08.org (http://www.health08.org/viewpoints) , a hub for information, news and analysis about health and the election, including original content produced by Kaiser and easy access to health-related resources from the campaigns, other organizations and news outlets.