Health Care Costs

The interview of William Schwartz by Barbara Isenberg (Opinion, Aug. 9) was outstanding in clearly showing that the basis of the growth in medical care costs was the result of medical research, which provided the new drugs and new techniques that could treat more and more of our ailments and do it better. How do we determine how much of our GNP should be assigned to health care? If 6%-7% is OK and 14% is too much, then what would be our target and why?

On a personal basis, the only limit for health care of a beloved is generally the availability of funds. It would also be interesting to have had the interview cover what I remember as the Oregon system of ranking disorders to be treated and cutting off the list when the budget is reached.

ROBERT GORDON

Arcadia