Healthcare Reform: Stop Wasting Our Time

President Obama thinks he can revive healthcare reform with yet another new bill and a televised February 25th conference with Republican opponents. His bill blends the House and Senate bills, introduces price controls, and still includes the unconstitutional requirement for individuals to purchase health insurance.

Tell Congress to stop wasting our time and start working toward real reforms that will preserve freedom and help the economy.

You may borrow from or copy this letter . . .

I wish the President and Congress would stop wasting our time with their pet healthcare schemes.

* economic recovery, deficit reduction, and ending the wars should be higher priorities right now
* the President’s proposed price controls will force private insurers to deny coverage for more services http://www.cato-at-liberty.org/2010/02/22/obamas-best-idea-rationing-care-via-clinton-esque-price-controls/
* the individual mandate to carry health insurance is an unconstitutional “direct tax” that won’t withstand judicial scrutiny http://www.heritage.org/research/legalissues/lm0049.cfm
* which means if Congressional opponents don’t derail the bill, the Supreme Court probably will

I’m not saying Congress should abandon healthcare reform entirely. But instead of wasting our time with “reform” plans that will succeed only in making government bigger, Congress should encourage reforms that . . .

* preserve and expand individual freedom, and . . .
* INSTANTLY help economic recovery!

Here are two steps you can do immediately . . .

1. Expand Health Savings Accounts. This would:

* allow individuals to save on taxes and build wealth
* put them in greater control of their healthcare choices
* allow businesses to save on health insurance, which means lower prices for consumers
* and spur competition among insurance companies, leading to lower premiums

2. Pass a law permitting individuals or their employers to buy insurance regulated by other states. This would . . .

* enable them to shop for better deals across state lines
* put pressure on state governments to liberalize their insurance regulations, leading to lower premiums
* reduce silly policies such as forcing single males to carry insurance for maternity care
* create a nationwide, competitive health insurance market

Together, these proposals will . . .

* make healthcare and health insurance more affordable to millions more people
* create savings among businesses and consumers that will stimulate production and consumer demand in the economy
* preserve individual freedom of choice

After these steps are taken, Congress should move to allow free markets in other sectors of the healthcare industry. Open markets will mean a greater supply of medical goods and services, which will mean lower prices and greater access for more people. Government regulation, on the other hand, REDUCES supply and INCREASES costs.

I STRONGLY encourage ALL sides of this debate to move away from expanded regulations and subsidies, and move toward expanded HSAs, interstate insurance purchases, and other free-market reforms.

END LETTER
 
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James Wilson
Assistant Communications Director
DownsizeDC.org