Well, thank you, Mr. Chairman, and, of

course, we welcome all of our witnesses today. This hearing

will kick off a series of Committee meetings...

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chairman, I

think I mentioned to you back when I was director of the Oregon

Gray Panthers, we used to...

I think it is well understood that

escalating health care costs are hitting America like a

wrecking ball. This was seen again yesterday...

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I want to

particularly thank you and Senator Kohl and all of my

colleagues for beginning this series which...

Senator, thank you for that. I would

like to hear from Mr. Wagoner first and then I will dive in,

and then we will get to questions from...

Well, thank you, Mr. Chairman and

members of the Committee, for inviting me to be with you today.

I am sorry I can't be there in person,...

Yes. This is based on a study done by

the Lewin Group looking at how we manage our health care costs

versus other States in the Medicaid...

Ten.

Mr. Senator, I think it is a little

too soon to know what the DRA really has done. What I do think

we need to communicate to HHS and the...

I can't speak to Oregon, but I can say

that States and other Governors have been speaking with me. Of

course, we are all speaking with the...

Thank you, Senator, and I would be

happy to be speaking with you as we go through the

implementation of the Deficit Reduction Act. I am...

Your Udall cousins are treating me

very well and we could use more of them. Thank you.

Thank you very much.

Mr. Wagoner, you talked about the cost of health care

spending, of course, and the fact that almost 40 percent...

In your statement, did you give us an

estimate on, in your judgment, what generic drug usage in your

company is saving you?

So can I conclude that you would suggest that

we need here--to the extent that we are in a position to

influence the process, we need here...

Thank you very much, Mr. Wagoner.

Governor Napolitano, some States that have expanded home

and community-based services, such as your State,...

Do you think that the relatively smaller size

of your State, as opposed to the really larger States in our

country, gives you a somewhat...

That is very good.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

Mr. Chairman, thank you.

Mr. Wagoner, as you know, since 1945 and Harry Truman, this

country has been trying to come up with a way to make...

Tell me your thoughts about the idea of

shared responsibility, that there is a role for a government,

there is a role for the private sector...

I think you are right, and my seat-mate,

Senator Clinton, has done very important work in the technology

area, but I do want to come back...

Let me ask you about one idea that I am

looking at with respect to the role of the employer. I hear

constantly from businesses that their...

My time is up and, as you know, my seat-mate

has a longstanding interest in this issue, as well, and I am

going to give her the gavel and...

Thank you. It is good to see

you again, Mr. Wagoner. Governor, welcome. We are delighted to

have you be part of this hearing as well.

GM does business all over the world. You

obviously are an American company with global reach and we hope

that continues. You have employees...

Have you done an analysis of your health

care costs in those other 44 countries?

Do those include Canada, European

countries, as well as Asian countries?

Is that information that could be made

available to this Committee in some non-proprietary way for a

basis of comparison?

Obviously, what I am trying to get at is

that I think American companies are being put in an impossible

position when it comes to a global...

Mr. Wagoner, I am so sorry, but they have

told me if I don't go to vote, I am not going to get to vote. I

would love to get the rest of...

Thank you so very much for being here.

One is we are really one of the

largest purchasers of health care in the State and that gives

us some market power. What we do is we have...

Well, that is part of the capitated

costs. It is a full-risk, capitated program, and part of that

is the pharmaceuticals. So we leave it...

Thank you.

Just a word from each of you, if you would, on the

importance of health information technology programs, their

startup...

Very good.

Those are good answers. I thank you both very

much.

I thank you, Mr. Chairman.