In a refreshing acknowledgement of reality, a top Federal official noted that “if there’s one thing that can bankrupt the country, it is health care. It is out of control.” US Comptroller David Walker made this statement while referring to the growing US budget deficit in a speech in New York last Wednesday.
Walker’s comment came during a talk on the budget deficit where he referred to the health care system and federal government health care programs as key contributors to last fiscal year’s $412 billion budget deficit.
Why is this obvious statement of such interest to your author? Because it is the first public acknowledgement by a Bush official of the primacy of health care over Social Security (although Walker did not mention SocSec specifically) as a threat to the economic wellbeing of the nation. It is likely Walker’s comments were not officially vetted, but regardless, they are one of those “emperor has no clothes” statements that may add a level of urgency to the health care debate.
May
24
