Irwin M. Stelzer

Many commentators, including U.S. president Bill Clinton, cite escalating medical costs and increasing numbers of uninsured people to support their arguments that America's health care system is in crisis and needs to be significantly reformed. In the following viewpoint, Irwin M. Stelzer disputes this view. He contends that neither health care costs nor the number of uninsured citizens are unreasonably high. Stelzer is director of regulatory policy studies at the American Enterprise Institute, a conservative think tank in Washington, D.C., and a columnist for the London Sunday Times and the Boston Herald.

As you read, consider the following questions:

1. The idea that there is a health care crisis stems from what four sources, according to Stelzer?
2. How does Japan keep its health care costs down, according to the author?
3. According to...