Friday, September 4, 2009
Another Option in the Health Care Debate
This article highlights a farmer in Wisconsin while presenting another option for congress to consider in the current health care debate.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
1 comment:
I enjoyed this article because it constructively adds an interesting new concept for health care to the national discussion. The current debate has devolved into a shouting match between people who don’t know the definition of Socialism, citizens who enjoy the benefits of Medicare while simultaneously chanting “keep government out of my healthcare!”, and those who are convinced that the current plan is the only way we can provide health care to all Americans.
The co-op based plan suggested in the article reminds us of the power and efficiency of the market. Competition drives rapid innovation within an industry, and health care is no exception. As it stands now, the average individual consumer has very little power in the health care industry. In a way we have all lost our consumer sovereignty to a certain extent. Obtaining health care coverage privately is almost unheard of and next to impossible if you have a pre-existing condition. When looking at the issue from this angel it becomes clear that we need to reform how the industry operates.
I am open to the idea of creating many co-ops across the nation. I think that the concept has merit. I would, however, be interested to know whether the Wisconsin model mentioned in the article could effectively support the national demand for health care coverage.
I would also like to suggest a few other options to improve our health care system in the spirit of stimulating discussion. Imagine a health care landscape where “pre existing conditions” could not exclude you from coverage and health care companies could sell policies across state lines. Is it possible that these changes alone could reignite the healthcare industry and get the gears of the “invisible hand” going again? Perhaps there are enough firms out there currently to provide affordable health care to all if only we change the rules and restrictions.
Post a Comment