April 21,2009

Grassley: Health Reform Requires Innovation, Finding Common Ground

Remarks of Sen. Chuck Grassley for Roundtable Discussion on Delivery System Reform
Tuesday, April 21, 2009

Thank you, Mr. Chairman, and thank you to all of the participants of this roundtable discussion. Most everybody agrees our health care system is not performing as efficiently as it should. We have escalating costs, inefficient delivery systems, and 47 million people who lack health coverage at some point during the year. We need to make significant improvements to our health care delivery system. And we must make these reforms in a fiscally responsible way.

A job this big and this important requires everyone to be working together. During the last year, the Finance Committee has held a series of hearings on health care reform. We have heard many witnesses tell us what’s wrong with the system and how they believe health care delivery could
be improved. Indeed, some health care providers deliver higher quality care at a lower cost. We want to learn from people who are doing things well, take the best of the ideas, and apply them where we can. Each and every one of you plays an important role in the health care system. If we are to succeed in making real changes that benefit millions of Americans, all of us are going to have to listen and consider many ideas. Now is the time for innovation and reform. I urge you to roll up your sleeves and help us figure out how to make these proposals work. Everyone will have to be willing to recognize strengths, improve upon weaknesses, and find common ground. I am very appreciative that all of you have come here today to help with that process. Working together, we can make a difference and improve our health care system.