Charleston Daily Mail: Congress Should Seek Focused Health Fixes
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Charleston Daily Mail: Congress Should Seek Focused Health Fixes
Congressional liberals proposed a more than 1,000-page bill to "reform" - control - health care in the United States. Under its provisions, the federal government would require this, specify that, forbid other things, and create a "public option" to "compete" with private insurance companies.
This from the government that couldn't manage Social Security or Medicare. This from the government that will run a $2 trillion deficit this year alone.
And some in Congress propose to "fix" health care for only $1 trillion more over the next 10 years.
As Rep. Shelley Moore Capito, R-W.Va., observed recently, many of her constituents don't like what they hear.
They don't want the federal government to control the entire health care system. They don't want the federal government too deeply involved in their lives.
And they don't want a giant, taxpayer funded "public option" to "compete with private health insurers.
"They think it's too much government into their lives," she told the Daily Mail's Michelle Saxton. "They're concerned about the incredible overspending in Washington."
Capito suggests members of Congress pursue changes that focus on specific problems - helping young adults, people between jobs, people who can't afford insurance, people who can't get insurance because they have pre-existing conditions., etc.
"Rather than reshape the entire health care system or health insurance system, let's take the areas where we have the greatest need," Capito suggests. "I think this is where we can get bipartisan agreement."
Thank goodness for common sense.
Congress can indeed help many Americans by focusing on specific problems.
Capito points out also what some politicians don't want to talk about - that government regulation itself is part of the problem.
"More competition pushes the prices down," she said. "That's why I think we ought to be able to sell insurance across state lines, which we don't."
Capito is wisely uncommitted to proposals to tax businesses that don't provide insurance, and individuals who refuse to buy it.
She wants to take a closer look at the ramifications of that. Many Americans will, too.
But Capito suggests finding a focused way forward.
Many Americans would have more faith in an approach like that.
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