The Politician-Doctor Weighs In: An Interview With Former Oregon Gov. John Kitzhaber

Oct. 18, 2006 — -- "It's really mind-boggling to think that we continue to cling to this thing, in spite of the fact that it's not working for any of us."
-- Gov. John Kitzhaber, M.D., on the U.S. health-care system

Dr. John Kitzhaber, a former emergency-room doctor, was the governor of Oregon from 1995 to 2002.

During his time in the state Senate, he wrote and implemented the controversial Oregon Health Plan, which decided which treatments would be paid for based on which were considered the best value -- price vs. results.

In January 2006, Kitzhaber began the Archimedes Movement, which describes itself as a plan for health-care reform aiming to create a viable goal of an equitable and cost-effective system.

In an interview with ABC News, Kitzhaber talked about what he perceives as an outdated health-care system in America.

Here's what Kitzhaber said to ABC News:

On the Lack of Universal Access in the United States:

"Every other industrialized country in the world has some form of universal access. In other words, people can get access to primary and preventive care. They can get access for emergency care. Sometimes they have to wait for nonemergency care, but people can actually get in and get their problems dealt with on the front end."

"[In the] United States, the growing number of people who don't have the ability to have health insurance often get their care through the emergency room, so instead of paying pennies to manage someone's blood pressure in the community, we pay tens of thousands of dollars to take care of their stroke in the hospital. So, that's our de facto system of universal access, and it's a lot cheaper obviously to keep people healthy than to take care of them after they become sick."

On How the Uninsured Raise Prices for Everyone:

"What people don't appreciate is we do have a de facto policy of universal access. It's called the emergency room, so the people who can't get in to see a doctor in a timely manner will go to the emergency room and then federal law requires that they be seen and treated."

"Then those uncompensated costs are shifted back to people who have insurance coverage by increasing their bills or increasing their insurance premiums. So, if you have a private insurance policy, about 10 percent of your premium is picking up the cost of people who are getting care in these other venues."