Wednesday, November 28, 2007
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Director's Commentary: Healthcare
Health care is one of the hot button issues of the 2008 Presidential campaign. The top three Democrat presidential candidates all propose national health care proposals. Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton, and John Edwards outline detailed health care proposals which they admit would be expensive, but also would provide health care to everyone.
In contrast, the Republican presidential candidates stress the free market when discussing health care. Rudy Giuliani would focus on tax code reform. John McCain’s proposal is similar, but perhaps is the most detailed of any Republican candidate. Mike Huckabee’s proposal is also detailed and focuses not only on changes to the tax code but also prevention. His proposal also states simply: “We don't need universal health care mandated by federal edict.”
Fred Thompson has one of the simplest discussions of health care and stays closer to principles rather than an actual proposal. Mitt Romney’s discussion of health care is similar in its simplicity – the market must reform and government cannot help by getting involved. Duncan Hunter would allow people to buy insurance across state lines and advocates more disclosure. Ron Paul also advocates tax code changes, as well as changing medical licensing requirements to allow pharmacists and nurses to perform basic medical functions.
With all of this talk about health care, what are the facts?
Health Insurance Cost - synopsis: statistics on the rising cost of health care.
The Heritage Foundation has put out many papers on the current problems with health care in the U.S., and what can be done to fix them:
The Crisis in Hospital Emergency Departments: Overcoming the Burden of Federal Regulation - synopsis: well meaning government regulation hurts emergency room doctors and low income people who need emergency medical care. Eliminate much of this regulation.
Code Blue: The Case for Serious State Medical Liability Reform - synopsis: lawsuits against doctors are driving up the cost of health insurance as doctors pass on to patients the high cost of liability insurance.
The Cato Institute has also put out many good papers on the dangers of national health care.
Five Myths of Socialized Medicine - synopsis: many of the claims made by proponents of national health care are myths.
Individual Mandates for Health Insurance: Slippery Slope to National Health Care - synopsis: Once we accept the principle that it is the government’s responsibility to ensure that every American has health insurance, we guarantee even more government involvement with and control over large portions of our health care system.
Health care is a complex issue. But it is not going to go away. It is vitally important to all of us, and especially so to the millions of Americans who do not have access to insurance. It is an issue that affects all of us, and will only continue to affect us as we get older.
Posted by W. Estrada
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