AARP Viewer Alert: 60 Minutes to Run Important Show on Health Care Crisis

Source: AARP Press Center | March 2, 2007

This Sunday, "60 Minutes" will run an important segment on the government’s role in America’s broken health care system.

It is unfortunate the constraints of television do not allow a more in-depth discussion of the other factors that will go into radical health care reform, personal responsibility and private-sector involvement.

This Sunday, U.S. Comptroller General David Walker is quoted as saying we can no longer wait to fix America’s health care crisis. He says that if nothing changes, there will be major problems in years to come. Senator Kent Conrad (D-ND) accurately points out that government has done little to address the issue.

"It is no secret that America’s health care system is in dire need of reform," said AARP CEO Bill Novelli. "Our health care crisis is an important topic for discussion and 60 Minutes should be commended for elevating the subject on their show."

“Future segments should look beyond government involvement to what the private-sector can do to improve care, how Health IT and coordination among doctors will help patients and potentially reduce costs. Additionally, personal responsibility can affect the health care system at large—healthy habits and informed patients can lead to an improved quality of life. The problem is not just the government’s—the entire health care system is broken and fixing it will take all of us.”/p>

Earlier this year, AARP joined with the Business Roundtable and the Service Employees International Union to create "Divided We Fail," a national effort designed to engage the American people, elected officials and the business community to find broad-based, bi-partisan solutions to the most compelling domestic issues facing the nation—health care and the long-term financial security of Americans.