Panel addresses health care in Indiana

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) - Former Congressman Dick Gephardt sat on a panel leading the conversation on health care and the importance of Biotech Companies in Indiana on Tuesday.

Earlier on Daybreak, Gephardt talked about his new role as president of the Council for American Medical Innovation.

"The effort is to try to get more groundbreaking medical research in the United States to find answers to cancer and Alzheimer’s and diabetes and the other problems that we face," said Gephardt.

He was invited by an organization called Hoosiers Work for Health. It was co-founded by former Indianapolis Mayor Bart Peterson.

"It's a coalition of a lot of different partners coming together to say you know what in this era of change in the health care industry we've got to make sure we remember what the important part of the economy the pharmaceutical industry is," said Peterson.

The group highlighted the importance of Biotech Companies in Indiana. Gephardt said pharmaceutical companies like Eli Lilly become employment assets to the state especially at times when manufacturing jobs are being eliminated. When it comes to health care reform, both men, who are Democrats, said it does get political.

"I think research has always been what the government does best. The private sector can't afford the money, the capital of what it takes to do the groundbreaking research," said Gephardt.

Gephardt also emphasized the importance of stopping the brain drain and recruiting more young people to be innovators.

"We also need to have more kids wanting to be scientists and researchers. We need to make science cool again," said Gephardt.