MichiganRadio

Insurance CEO: Status Quo Unsustainable DETROIT, MI (Michigan Radio) - The president of the health insurance company Humana says he can't predict the fate of health reform legislation in Washington. But Michael McCallister told business leaders in southeast Michigan the long-term consequence of doing nothing is out-of-control costs.

"The path we're on is unsustainable," he told the Detroit Economic Club. "I mean, you're business people. How much of your business can you have consumed by this cost? I'm a member of the Business Roundtable. The number one thing, every quarter when the Business Roundtable is asked what are your biggest challenges as a business, number one is always health care."

McCallister says what's being debated in Washington is market insurance reform, not comprehensive health care reform. He says ultimately, the U.S. has to change unhealthy behaviors like smoking and eating too much.

McCallister says universal coverage is critical to fixing the nation's health care system.

"It's actually very critical to fixing some of the things that bother the public,: he said. "People hate this concept of pre-existing conditions. Well, the reason they exist is we're in a voluntary health insurance market where everyone is not covered."

Contact Sarah Hulett at sarahhu@umich.edu.

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