Hold the Mayo up as example

Everyone running for office keeps saying that the country must do something about the ever increasing cost of health care; yet they leave it without one bit of specific detail as to where the money is now being spent excessively, which no one seems to want to do.

I have followed this carefully and I have put together $1 trillion. We wouldn't have to spend too much money to bring a couple of auditing firms in and carefully go over existing records to see where excessive money is being spent on labor, record keeping and materials all through the system. There have to be factual reasons why health care is getting more expensive, and we must know what they are.

Congress and the administration are acting as though there is nothing wrong with the health care industry as is, and that is ridiculous.

John C. Goodman wrote an article two years ago in The Wall Street Journal stating that if the country operated health care as efficiently as the Mayo Clinic operated, we would save $650 billion in one year. This is using the figure of $2.6 trillion dollars being spent nationally and applying the 25 percent Mayo Clinic savings to it. This is hardly chump change.

My own figures from news stories, Wall Street Journal articles and talking to health care experts show me waste that adds up to the trillion I just mentioned. This savings is accomplished by spending less, the old fashioned way. In one case $650 billion, in the other $1 trillion. This demands being looked at, and up to now on one wants the tough job. Write your senator and congressman. Tell them what to do. We need an $800 billion cost saving.

Chuck Barr Jr.

St. Charles