Joseph A. Califano Jr.

In the following viewpoint, Joseph A. Califano Jr. contends that the Food and Drug Administration, Public Health Service, and numerous private corporations have made the U.S. health care system great. In addition, he applauds the devoted scientists, doctors, and nurses who spend their lives in the service of others. But, he warns, aggressive managed-care reforms threaten the character and quality of American health care. Califano argues that doctors, politicians, insurers, and patients have a responsibility to safeguard the integrity of American health care. Joseph A. Califano Jr. is chairman of the National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse at Columbia University and is a former U.S. secretary of health, education, and welfare.

As you read, consider the following questions:

1. In Califano&rsquo...