Citizens' Working Group on Health Care would raise taxes and expand government intrusion

A group set up by Congress is recommending that the government guarantee health care for all Americans ("Group calls for universal health coverage," June 8). That may seem like a noble goal -- until you realize that what the Citizens' Health Care Working Group really wants to do is raise taxes and expand government intrusion.

Unfortunately, these are the very same policy prescriptions that have made such a mess of health care in the first place. The mountain of laws and regulations that federal and state legislators have piled onto our health care system is the primary cause of our high health costs.

Mandates on what health insurance must cover add as much as 45% to the premium costs of policies. And doctors and hospitals must spend up to an hour filling out paperwork for every two hours that they spend with patients, further adding to the inefficiencies and cost of the system.

The solution is not to increase government involvement, but to get government out of the way and let citizens decide what health care best suits them and their pocketbooks.

Grace-Marie Turner

President, Galen Institute

P.O. Box 320010

Alexandria, VA 22320