John Mackey, CEO of Whole Foods, posts The Whole Foods Alternative to ObamaCare at the WSJ.
The 8 things he lists are:
- Remove the legal obstacles that slow the creation of high-deductible health insurance plans and health savings accounts (HSAs).
- Equalize the tax laws so that employer-provided health insurance and individually owned health insurance have the same tax benefits.
- Repeal all state laws which prevent insurance companies from competing across state lines.
- Repeal government mandates regarding what insurance companies must cover.
- Enact tort reform to end the ruinous lawsuits that force doctors to pay insurance costs of hundreds of thousands of dollars per year.
- Make costs transparent so that consumers understand what health-care treatments cost.
- Enact Medicare reform.
- Finally, revise tax forms to make it easier for individuals to make a voluntary, tax-deductible donation to help the millions of people who have no insurance and aren’t covered by Medicare, Medicaid or the State Children’s Health Insurance Program.
Go read the whole thing; below, I have some notes of my own.
Point 1 (HSAs) is near and dear to me; I have an HSA and it’s great. I get to keep all the money I don’t spend; it’s mine all mine. That makes me very cost-conscious, and I could be even more cost-conscious if point 6 (cost transparency) was available.
Points 2 (federal tax law), 3 (state law), and 4 (mandated coverage) should be educational to anyone who thinks we already have a free market in health care. We don’t. These point out only a few of the kinds of federal and state regulation that reduce the effectiveness of markets.
Not sure how I feel about point 5 (tort reform). I’m definitely in favor of the reform that says “loser pays” but I’m betting that’s not what most of the tort reform crowd has in mind.
Point 7 (Medicare reform) is a little vague.
Point 8 (donations to those without insurance) makes for actual *charity*, with all the moral and emotional benefits that confers upon the charitable giver, and not merely confiscation by the government.
I think this article makes the most convincing arguments against our HC insurance system.
I agree with most of the points.
But what about people actually trying to lead a better lifestyle of healthy practices and take care of their basic health. Healthy dietary choices, active lifestyle (exercise), water versus sugar laden drinks, etc go a long way to keeping people healthy. Why should we be forced into a government run health plan that basically is costing us a small fortune so the government can provide for those people that choose not to help themselves.
I like point 1. I have an HSA. It is great. I never go to the doctor. I lead a super healthy lifestyle(no drinking, no smoking, I exercise daily). Rarely do I even have a sniffle. I get to keep my money.
Point 8 is good for those that choose to be charitable. Since all the leftist are for this new health plan they should be all for donating their hard earned money to help the uninsured. The money donated would be for actual medical cost and not squandered by the government like Social Security funds.
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