(Durk Pearson) – Here is a Republican alternative that respects the freedom, intelligence, and autonomy of Americans, is economically sound, and costs the taxpayers nothing:
1) Congress repeals their law prohibiting interstate sale of insurance policies.
2) Congress passes a law under the Interstate Commerce Clause authorizing interstate online sales of insurance policies by Amazon, eBay, and everybody else, including all insurance agents. Its time for dog-eat-dog competition in providing consumers with what they want at a price they freely choose to pay.
Congress has the Constitutional authority to end State enforced high price insurance oligopolies and should do so forthwith.
3) Congress passes another law stating that anyone with any sort of health insurance is exempt from Obamacare fines/taxes so long as that policy guarantees that it will not drop the insured because of the development of illness while the policy is in effect nor raise prices for that reason.
This is in accord with the fundamental purpose of insurance – to share risks within a voluntary association group. Most health insurance policies already have this provision.
4) There is no four. Nothing further is needed. Obamacare does not have to be repealed. Obamacare will eventually die from a natural marketplace death spiral, and the political careers of the Democrats who vote against these reforms will die in their next election.
What about those who don’t buy health insurance and go to an emergency room? This amounts to about 5% of medical expenditures. Don’t wreck the private health insurance system over this 5%.
What about those with pre-existing conditions? Perform a careful quantitative study of State assigned risk pools which already exist for both bad drivers and those with pre-existing medical conditions. Always find out what works best before passing any new Federal legislation.
5) Smile. Life is good again.
(Mr. Pearson lives in central Nevada)
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