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AMSTERDAM - U.S. Rep. Paul Tonko and area business leaders disagreed on some aspects of health care reform during a forum Monday.

Members of the Montgomery County Chamber of Commerce gathered to hear the views of Tonko, D-Amsterdam, MVP Health Care Vice President of Government Affairs Frank Fanshawe, Quandt's Food Service Distributors Chief Financial Officer Kevin Thompson and Crystal Ristorante owner Tony Centi at the forum at St. Mary's Hospital's Carondelet Pavilion.

St. Mary's Hospital President and CEO Victor Giulianelli began the forum with a slide show of information on the costs of health care, the number of uninsured and the projected rate health care costs are expected to grow within the next few decades. Giulianelli said there are at least 40 million uninsured people in the nation.

"Behind the numbers are real people with real problems," Giulianelli said.

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Tonko stressed the importance of health care reform, saying that based on how much costs have increased over the past few years, health care costs will be sky-high soon.

"I don't think the status quo works," he said. "The costs have grown to record proportions."

Fanshawe said while he is in favor of health care reform, he believes the measures in the Legislature now must be amended to include cost-controlling measures.

"Universal access to health care is essential for moving forward, but you have to control costs," he said.

Thompson agreed. He said in his business, health care premiums for Quandt's approximately 125 employees rose 33 percent this year over last.

"I applaud the efforts [of reform], but the cost containment issue needs to be more focused on," he said.

Centi said he believes government should take its hands off health care and let it fix itself. He said given the government's track record in Social Security, the war on poverty and other initiatives, he does not trust the government to reform health care. He added he is against what he called the "confiscation" of his tax dollars to support the poor.

Giulianelli said he does not believe the system can sustain itself as it is now. He said just a few changes could result in billions of dollars of savings. Tonko agreed, stressing the government proposals for health care reform stress personal responsibility and preventive medicine so people don't postpone treatment until they must visit the emergency room, resulting in sicker people and higher costs for all.

Mohawk Sign Systems owner Jim Grzybowski said he is not in favor of a public plan and believes the health care industry should be allowed to fix itself.

"We need private enterprise," he said. "It's the same thing as Ford - they didn't take a bailout, and they've turned themselves around."

Tonko disagreed. He said leaving change up to the companies that are making money off the current system is unrealistic.

"Their profit margins have grown to record proportions," he said. "But we want that system to say, there is something wrong and we'll fix it? I don't see that happening."

Kayleigh Karutis covers Gloversville news. She can be reached at gloversville@leaderherald.com.