Philip Klein does a good job of summarizing the fundamental problem with our health care system: the U.S. health care market is everywhere shackled by government:
The way the health care system functions in this country is completely different from the way any other part of the economy functions. Everywhere else, American consumers face a dizzying array of choices and they have the freedom to buy what they want, and the ability to shop around for the best price. But when it comes to health insurance, people can’t buy the coverage that they want, but the coverage that the government says they need.
This is why the current Democrat “reform” proposals will only exacerbate the ills of the system. They all envision MORE government meddling in the health care market.
As I and many others have said over and over again, genuine reform would reduce the regulatory trammels imposed by government, at the state as well as the federal level.
None of the the Democrat proposals do this. The Republicans have proposed some sensible alternatives, but they have allowed themselves to be portrayed as being “against reform.”
As Klein points out, this is not a good strategy. The GOP needs to become the party of GENUINE health reform—market based restructuring that addresses the system’s real dysfunctions.
Post a Comment