Andy Turner wants the government out of health care

New Mexico Business Journal, April, 1996

NMBJ: What do you see for the future of health care? What is the industry going to look like in 2020 when you and I have retired?

Turner: I think we're going to see a significant reduction in costs, and I think the role of government is going to be dramatically diminished. When you and I are ready to retire, I don't think long-term nursing home care is going to be significantly different than it is today. I believe that the place for the most significant changes is going to be in acute care. What's broken is at that level of care, and that level of care is changing dramatically right now. So in the year 2020 when you fracture your hip, there are going to be fewer people taking care of you. There may be longer lines for our treatment. You're going to spend less time in the hospital and you're going to get quickly shuttled to what we now call a nursing home where I think the care will be pretty similar to what it is right now.

I think private businesses will become the primary purveyors of health care services and that the government-run homes are going to be fewer. I don't see much of a future for not-for-profit homes. I just don't think that the religious orders are going to have the incentive to stay in the health care business that they have today.