Innovation critical to health care costs

On Tuesday, the University of Iowa held a remarkable program to discuss what Iowa needs to do to implement the federal health care reform legislation. I was pleased with the lineup of state and national speakers discussing how to implement the prevention and intervention components of the bill.

More so, I was thrilled to hear the need for innovation addressed in the conversation. We know we must invest in innovation to find new treatments and cures so we can save lives and reduce health care spending.

Dr. Andy McGuire, co-chair of the Partnership for Better Health, spoke directly to this issue and discussed how Congress largely overlooked creating an environment where innovation is rewarded and incentivized in the legislation. The reality is that we won't have meaningful health care reform without innovation.

When we look at the fact that three out of every four health care dollars in America are spent treating chronic disease, innovation is an essential component to reducing health care spending. Even small reductions in cancer mortality rates or slightly extending the onset of Alzheimer's disease can save billions.

As we move forward with implementing health care reform and look at any future legislation, I challenge our policymakers to recognize the need for innovation. We must continue to find new cures and treatments for chronic diseases.

The time for innovation is now to prevent further increases in the cost of care and to save the lives of millions of Americans.

Eileen Fisher

Solon