The cost of health care: Something both parties can agree on

Can politics and posturing be put aside to work for the common good? Gianno Caldwell believes the answer to that question is “yes.”

Caldwell is founder of Caldwell Strategic Consulting and provides analysis and commentary to Fox News Channel, Fox Business Channel, CNN. BET and TV One. He gave his views on reducing health care costs while supporting the health insurance industry during the National Association of Benefits and Insurance Professionals Capitol Conference this week.

In an environment where Democrats and Republicans keep pulling further apart from each other, Caldwell reminded the audience that the two parties support a number of the same issues. For example, he said, in the most recent presidential election year, the official platforms of both parties contained support for promoting innovation and entrepreneurship for America’s young people, promoting public health, reducing prescription drug costs and ending gun violence.

Health care costs in the U.S. are double those of other industrialized nations, Caldwell said, yet life expectancy in the U.S. are the lowest among the 10 wealthiest nations.

“People are getting hurt by this. They – we – deserve better,” he said.

Where the U.S. differs from its peer nations, Caldwell said, is that the U.S. is the only capitalist country with a private, profit-driven system of health care. Every other country has a single-payer system or a highly regulated system for delivering care.

When it comes to health care in the U.S., the cost of care is one issue both Democrats and Republicans can get behind, Caldwell said.

“We need real cost-saving measures that create genuine benefit for the consumer and the right changes for the consumer,” he said. “Lower prices through transparency and increased competition, more access to telemedicine, better health care options for women and for our inner cities - we all can get behind these,” he said. “We the people can always change things to truly make this a better place.”

Susan Rupe is managing editor for InsuranceNewsNet. She formerly served as communications director for an insurance agents' association and was an award-winning newspaper reporter and editor. Contact her at [email protected]. Follow her on Twitter @INNsusan.

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Susan Rupe is editor in chief, magazine, for InsuranceNewsNet. She formerly served as communications director for an insurance agents' association and was an award-winning newspaper reporter and editor. Contact her at [email protected].