A Reasonable Health Care Reform Proposal

I've been on this health care reform debate for some time now. Sorry about that, but this is important stuff for our country. A lot has been written denouncing the Obama plan for being a back door way for the federal government to take a fuller and deeper control over our lives; less has been written about what real reform should look like. A couple months ago I used an analogy about building motels and the need for choice. To take that analogy further, imagine the federal government mandated what every motel has to offer. Let's say that mandate includes everything from free internet to room service to ballrooms. Now, to be sure, motels already must conform to building and health codes, but after that motels are free to be different. It's those differences that make one motel cost $39 a night while the one next door is $139 a night. I'm usually fine with the $39 one. I don't need the ballroom or room service or the fancy bed sheets. If motels were mandated to offer not only everything, but the same things, chances are I would never have the $39 choice.

So what should real health care reform look like? How about the following:

1. Less regulation and fewer mandates laid on insurance companies by the federal government. Let insurance companies develop plans that don't cover every illness or disease represented by some lobbyist. If I am single with little chance of getting pregnant, why do I need pre-natal coverage?

2. Let insurance companies compete nationwide. I heard one senator mention that one of the problems with this is that coverage in northern Virginia costs more than in the midwest, so people in northern Virginia would be wanting to buy coverage from a midwest insurance company. Certainly companies can set a price structure depending on location, much like auto insurance companies do. Bottom line is competition and the inevitable result of lower prices.

3. Tort reform. This is the big elephant in the room that Democrats refuse to acknowledge. Reform the role lawyers play in jacking up costs in health care, and you could probably pay for all of those who are currently uninsured from that.

4. Reform Medicare. I don't have any proposals here, but this has been the government's attempt at federalized health care, and even while doctors continue to be underpaid through Medicare, it is still running a huge deficit. If Medicare was a stellar example of being a winner for everyone involved, perhaps a socialized style of health care would enjoy a better sell. On the contrary Medicare is in trouble and the government has been slow and ineffective in fixing it. That should be all the warning we need to have about the federal government's attempted takeover of health care.

Politicians make promises during election campaigns. While their numbers never add up and their promises seem empty, we let them slide because it is all part of the campaign. Health care promises are no longer part of an election campaign. Now the numbers need to add up, and the promises need to have substance and foundation to be believed. Obama is offering neither. His numbers don't make sense, his promises are not trustworthy. More and more people are realizing this, and consequently more and more people are unwilling to buy into the health care reform proposed by Obama and the democrats. For the sake of our country, this is a good thing.