Politically controlled insurance is a disease
Brian Schwartz, Boulder
Published January 17, 2008 at 12:05 a.m.
Health care reform commission Chair Bill Lindsey's recent comments show that he either misunderstands why insurance is so expensive or deliberately misrepresents fundamental issues ("Mandatory health plan participation opposed," Jan. 10).
He wants to force Coloradans to buy politically defined insurance because "the market for health insurance isn't working." But as my free-market proposal to the commission explains, it's not working because government controls have crippled it.
Federal tax policy deeply discounts employer-provided insurance. This locks us to our employer and the costly insurance plans they offer. Hence, insurance companies need not please us, as they know we must change jobs to buy a competitor's product.
Likewise, mandated benefits laws force us to buy expensive policies with benefits we may not need. For example, a widowed wife must buy a policy that covers marital therapy, prostate cancer and maternity. In Colorado, these and other controls add between 20 percent to 50 percent or more to premium costs.
Politically controlled medical insurance is a disease masquerading as its own cure.
Featured
-
DNC in Denver
Complete coverage of the 2008 Democratic National Convention.
-
The Crevasse
A five-part series that examines one tragic day on Mount Rainier.
-
Deadly denial
Sick nuclear workers applied for government compensation but most haven't seen a dime.
-
Final Salute
The Rocky followed Maj. Steve Beck as he took on the most difficult duty of his career.
-
'Colorado's burning'
Coverage of the state's worst wildfires.
-
Columbine shootings
Coverage of the April 20, 1999, shootings at Littleton's Columbine High School.
-
The Crossing
Colorado's deadliest traffic accident killed 20 children on Dec. 14, 1961.
-
Osveli's journey
Osveli Sales left Guatemala for a better life. Two months later, he came home in a box.
-
Wake for an Indian warrior
Oglala Sioux bestow a tribute to the first tribal fatality in Iraq.
January 17, 2008
12:07 p.m.
Suggest removal
LMRuane writes:
Good letter, Brian. Too many conservatives say that there's nothing wrong with our current health care system. You correctly point out that the government has already messed it up.
Here is a very good lecture on health insurance (recorded in 2001), and on the concept of insurance in general:
http://mises.org/mp3/MU2001/MU13.mp3
That and more lectures from this speaker (Hans Hoppe, professor of economics at UNLV) are linked from this page:
http://mises.org/media.aspx?action=sh...
Here is some information on the speaker:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hans_hoppe