Hospital Cost Containment Legislation Letter to Members of the House Interstate and Foreign Commerce Committee.

The most pressing problem facing this Nation is inflation. And one of its most important causes is the precipitous rise in health care costs. Over the last three years, inflation in the health care industry has been 1 1/2 times greater than the rate of increase for all consumer prices.

The most important immediate step this Nation can take to hold down the intolerable rise in health costs is to pass legislation containing hospital costs—which constitute 40% of health costs and which have been rising about 2 1/2 times faster than the national rate of inflation.

Last year I sent the Congress legislation that would put the brakes on out-of-control hospital costs without affecting the quality of care. That legislation is one of my top priorities today.

I urge you, as a member of the Commerce Committee of the House, to help bring spiralling health care costs back in line with the rest of the economy by passing that legislation at your forthcoming markup.

Sincerely,

JIMMY CARTER