We’re in This Together

By John J. Castellani
Reprinted from the October 2007 AARP Bulletin

America spends more on health care than any other country in the world. And yet our care is worse than that in many other developed countries, according to a report issued recently by the Commonwealth Fund.

Sharply increasing health care costs burden workers, businesses and government alike, while sapping our nation's competitive strength. In fact, more than half of the CEOs of America's largest employers cite health care as the most significant cost pressure facing their companies. At the same time, workers and retirees are facing a double whammy: a broken health care system and a deep uncertainty about how to pay for it.

Right now, two-thirds of Americans believe that the next generation will be less well off than the current one. If that happens, it will be the first time in American history. This is unacceptable.

We must alleviate the pressure of health care costs on our economy, our workers and our retirees by implementing reforms that provide every American with access to the quality, affordable health care they deserve. That's why the Business Roundtable has joined together with AARP and the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) to form Divided We Fail.

Divided We Fail is not your typical health care coalition. Our organizations do not always see eye to eye, but one thing we do agree on is that the time has come for bipartisan solutions to the crisis. Together, we are working to create a political environment where leaders will not only talk about solutions to our nation's health care and retirement challenges, but also implement real and meaningful change.

For the Business Roundtable, Divided We Fail is not just issuing vague platitudes about improved care. We are advancing three immediate, specific, shared goals: passing health information technology legislation, improving the transparency of our health care system and reauthorizing SCHIP (the State Children's Health Insurance Program).

To be clear, the CEOs of the Business Roundtable are not looking to abandon the employer-based health care system. As the largest source of health insurance for nonelderly Americans, employers play an important role in advancing health care reform. In fact, Business Roundtable members alone provide health care coverage for about 35 million Americans. We not only help them recover from illness and injury, we also provide them with the tools they need to stay well, live healthy lives and plan for a rewarding retirement.

However, our efforts are only one piece of a larger puzzle. We have a shared responsibility—government, business and individuals—to improve access to affordable health insurance coverage.

Like AARP and the SEIU, we believe that giving Americans peace of mind will require a mix of improved programs and new opportunities. As Henry Ford once said, "Coming together is a beginning. Keeping together is progress. Working together is success."

It is this spirit of collaboration that fuels Divided We Fail. I truly hope that our nation's policymakers will learn from our example and come together to create a healthier, more secure future for all Americans.

John J. Castellani is president of the Business Roundtable.