The national debate over health reform is heating up with a major decision expected this fall. Competing proposals all claim to address the problems of health cost escalation and the ready need for inexpensive health services, especially for the disadvantaged.

The Clinton Administration and others propose expanding government control over health care, including the use of price controls, global budgets, individual and employer mandates, proscribed benefits, government health boards, etc. Others instead propose pro-competitive reforms in order to de-bureaucratize government's already heavy hand in subsidizing the health care consumption of millions and in regulating insurance, medical education, drugs and devices, hospitals, doctors and other health professionals, and many more areas. Such plans propose deregulation, medical IRAs/savings accounts, decentralization, privatization, and tort reform as routes for positive change.

All sides agree that the current complexity of public and private health systems is increasingly inefficient, especially when compared to what historically had been an efficient health system. The Independent Institute's conference, HEALTH CHOICES FOR AMERICA, boldly addressed the causes and remedies of the health care problem in the United States.

Participants:

Joseph R. Antos, Deputy Director, Office of the Actuary for Health Care Financing Administration

Henry N. Butler, Professor of Law and Economics, University of Kansas

Robert W. Crandall, Senior Fellow, Brookings Institution

Patricia M. Danzon, Professor of Health Care Systems, University of Pennsylvania

Susan Dentzer, Chief Economics Correspondent, U. S. News & World Report

Robert J. Dole, Minority Leader, U. S. Senate

Roger D. Feldman, Professor, Center for Health Services Research, University of Minnesota

H. E. Frech, III, Professor of Economics, University of California, Santa Barbara

Diana H. Furchtgott-Roth, Deputy Director, Health Policy Studies, American Enterprise Institute

Ronald Hansen, Associate Dean, Graduate School of Business, University of Rochester

(study published in the book: Hazardous to Our Health?: FDA Regulation of Health Care Products)

Clark C. Havighurst, Professor of Law, Duke University

Robert Higgs, Senior Fellow in Political Economy, The Independent Institute

Gail A. Jensen, Professor of Economics, Wayne State University

David B. Kendall, Senior Analyst for Health Policy, Progressive Policy Institute

William Kristol, Publisher and Editor, The Weekly Standard

Donald Lambro, Chief Political Correspondent, The Washington Times

Carolyn Lockhead, Washington Correspondent, San Francisco Chronicle

Michael A. Morrrisey, Professor of Health Care Organization and Policy, University of Alabama

William A. Niskanen, Chairman, Cato Institute

Dana Priest, Reporter, Washington Post

Louis F. Rossiter, Professor of Health Economics, Virginia Commonwealth University

Simon Rottenberg, Professor of Economics, University of Massachusetts

Paul H. Rubin, Professor of Economics, Emory University

Barbara A. Ryan, Vice President, Capital Economics

Greg Scandlen, former Executive Director, Council for Affordable Health Insurance

Eugene Schonfeld, President, National Kidney Cancer Association

Charles W. Stenholm, U. S. Congressman

John Stossel, News Correspondent, ABC-News

Shirley Svorny, Professor of Economics, California State University, Northridge

Bennie L. Thayer, President, National Association for the Self-Employed

David J. Theroux, Founder and President, The Independent Institute

Rich Thomas, Chief Economic Correspondent, Newsweek

Robert D. Tollison, Professor of Economics, University of Mississippi

David Wessel, Senior Special Writer, Wall Street Journal

Program:

Dinner:

Presentations: The Health Care Crisis and Bureaucracy

SUSAN DENTZER (Chief Economics Correspondent, U. S. News & World Report)
DONALD LAMBRO (Chief Political Correspondent The Washington Times)
CAROLYN LOCHHEAD (Washington Correspendent, San Francisco Chronicle)
DANA PRIEST (Reporter, The Washington Post)
RICH THOMAS (Chief Economics Correspondent, Newsweek)
DAVID WESSEL (Economics Reporter, The Wall Street Journal)

Session I. Health Insurance:

Chair: ROBERT W. CRANDALL (Senior Fellow, Brookings Institution)

Presentations:

Universal Insurance?

HENRY N. BUTLER (Professor of Law and Economics, University of Kansas)

Health Insurance, Medical IRAs and Savings Accounts

GAIL A. JENSEN (Professor of Economics, Wayne State University)

Health Contracts for Insurance

CLARK HAVIGHURST (Professor of Law, Duke University)

Comments:

LOUIS F. ROSSITER (Former Senior Policy Advisor, Health Care Financing Administration)

Session II. Health Care Services:

Chair: ROBERT D. TOLLISON (Director, Center for the Study of Public Choice, George Mason University)

Presentations:

Hospital Services

BARBARA RYAN (Economist, Capital Economics)

Regulation and Deregulation of Health Care Services

MICHAEL A. MORRISEY (Professor of Health Care Organization, University of Alabama)

De-Bureaucratizing Health Care Service Markets: Domestic and International Lessons

JOSEPH R. ANTOS (Deputy Director of the Office of the Actuary, Health Care Financing Administration)

Comments:

WILLIAM A. NISKANEN (Chairman, Cato Institute)

Session III. Health Policy Solutions:

Chair: JOHN STOSSEL (Consumer Correspondent, ABC News)

Presentations:

ROBERT J. DOLE, U.S. Senator
CHARLES W. STENHOLM, U.S. Congressman

Comments:

S. JACKSON FARIS (President, National Federation of Independent Business)
DAVID B. KENDALL (Senior Analyst for Health Policy, Progressive Policy Institute)
WILLIAM KRISTOL (Chairman, Project for the Republican Future)
GREGORY SCANDLEN (Executive Director, Council for Affordable Health Insurance)
EUGENE SCHONFELD (President, National Kidney Cancer Association)
BENNIE L. THAYER (President, National Association of the Self-Employed)

Session IV. The Future of Drugs, Medication and Devices:

Chair: DIANA H. Furchtgott-Roth (Deputy Director, Health Policy, American Enterprise Institute)

Presentations:

Pharmaceutical Research and Development

RONALD HANSEN (Professor of Management, University of Rochester)

The Regulation of Medical Devices

ROBERT HIGGS (Research Director, The Independent Institute)

Medication and Advertising

PAUL RUBIN (Professor of Economics, Emory University)

Comments:

PATRICIA M. DANZON (Professor of Health Care Systems, University of Pennsylvania)

Session V. Health Care Personnel:

Chair: SIMON ROTTENBERG (Director, Center for Health Policy Innovation, The Independent Institute)

Presentations:

Physician and Other Health Professional Fees and Price Controls

H. E. FRECH, III (Professor of Economics, Universiy of California, Santa Barbara)

Regulating the Supply and Quality of Health Professionals

SHIRLEY V. SVORNY (Professor of Economics, California State University, Northridge)

Malpractice

PATRICIA M. DANZON (Professor of Health Care Systems, University of Pennsylvania)

Comments:

ROGER D. FELDMAN (Director, Center for Health Services Research, University of Minnesota)