Interesting posts on health care reform. Thought I'd weigh in.
I am a free market democrat and so I am opposed to a government plan. But I am in favor of universal coverage. How can this be done?
Right now there is no free market for health insurance. I am self employed and I basically have one choice - blue cross advantage. If I was a large employer, then I would have options. But for individuals there is not a well-functioning market.
In addition, there would not be a free market for health insurance even if I worked for someone else. Of all the jobs I've had over the years, my employer has only offered me one and only one health care option (I don't count an adjustment in the deductible as "choice"). Want a different health insurance plan? Then you must change jobs!
Even further, if on my present plan I decide to "choose" my doctor, and they are on my plan - then I pay through the nose (retail). So the insurance company determines who my doctors are.
No free market for coverage individually. No free market for coverage at employers. No free choice of doctors. That is what we have now. (And the right keeps saying they want free choice and not socialism - I just don't understand the logic).
But the government is not the answer. They don't know health care any more than they know how to make automobiles. Stick with what you know. I don't do brain surgery. The government shouldn't do health care.
The answer is to decouple health insurance from employment.
Create a free market for insurance.
Then require everyone to have coverage. (which also means no one can be turned down). This is the fundamental problem - spreading the risk. By having it employment based, we have lots of little tiny pools of risk. But spread the risk over 300 million people and insurance starts to look like actual insurance. You would of course need to have a fund for those who cannot afford it as we have now under medicaid.
I would not only apply this to the private sector. The public sector - including the military - will be required to get their own insurance on the free market.
Free market for insurance. Everyone is covered. No single payer. No government doctors. Case closed.
(p.s. Another "slightly unrealistic" solutions would be to have a "fat tax" where people pay for coverage based on their physical weight. Except perhaps smoking, isn't that the most behavior-based, changeable, controllable factor affecting the cost of everyone's health care? Pay by the pound and watch obesity, diabetes, high blood pressure, and health care costs all drop precipitously.)
I am a free market democrat and so I am opposed to a government plan. But I am in favor of universal coverage. How can this be done?
Right now there is no free market for health insurance. I am self employed and I basically have one choice - blue cross advantage. If I was a large employer, then I would have options. But for individuals there is not a well-functioning market.
In addition, there would not be a free market for health insurance even if I worked for someone else. Of all the jobs I've had over the years, my employer has only offered me one and only one health care option (I don't count an adjustment in the deductible as "choice"). Want a different health insurance plan? Then you must change jobs!
Even further, if on my present plan I decide to "choose" my doctor, and they are on my plan - then I pay through the nose (retail). So the insurance company determines who my doctors are.
No free market for coverage individually. No free market for coverage at employers. No free choice of doctors. That is what we have now. (And the right keeps saying they want free choice and not socialism - I just don't understand the logic).
But the government is not the answer. They don't know health care any more than they know how to make automobiles. Stick with what you know. I don't do brain surgery. The government shouldn't do health care.
The answer is to decouple health insurance from employment.
Create a free market for insurance.
Then require everyone to have coverage. (which also means no one can be turned down). This is the fundamental problem - spreading the risk. By having it employment based, we have lots of little tiny pools of risk. But spread the risk over 300 million people and insurance starts to look like actual insurance. You would of course need to have a fund for those who cannot afford it as we have now under medicaid.
I would not only apply this to the private sector. The public sector - including the military - will be required to get their own insurance on the free market.
Free market for insurance. Everyone is covered. No single payer. No government doctors. Case closed.
(p.s. Another "slightly unrealistic" solutions would be to have a "fat tax" where people pay for coverage based on their physical weight. Except perhaps smoking, isn't that the most behavior-based, changeable, controllable factor affecting the cost of everyone's health care? Pay by the pound and watch obesity, diabetes, high blood pressure, and health care costs all drop precipitously.)