Three Questions about Healthcare

Rush Limbaugh's recent slurs against Sandra Fluke were one of the worst setbacks to the cause of reasonable debate on the issue of healthcare. In light of this, I think I should lay out the three big questions about the issue so that the discussion can begin without the cloud of hostility. Every American should ask themselves these questions and I'll be happy to show you my response to them to get the conversation started.

1. Should the United States require its citizens to purchase health insurance?

2. Should the United States regulate what health insurance covers?

3. What types of care should be covered by health insurance?

My response:

1. No, the United States should not require it's citizens to purchase health insurance. Such an order gives too much power to the Government while stripping power from the individual. Forcing the citizenry to purchase goods by Government force sets up a dangerous precedent. I think that our current health insurance system is flawed, but that most of the flaws are generated by government limitations on the freedom of health insurance providers.

2. Again, my answer is No, although I do believe that government should play a roll in forcing institutions to abide by their promises and to protect consumers by prosecuting those that lie and steal through false advertising. Government mandates for certain types of coverage limit the systems flexibility to adjust to changing times and diseases. If a system is not flexible it will become unprofitable and collapse on itself. I believe that the individual States should set up safety-nets for their members to take advantage of if they find themselves in a health situation that is not covered by a private system of health insurance. By producing these safety-net systems at the state level, there will be more diversity and a better trial of what works and what does not.

3. Finally, the question of what should be covered. This is the state of debate that the country is in currently because the Government already answered "yes" to questions 1 and 2. If we have to have a system that functions in this way, I would argue that the system should be handed over to the individual states to decide. This would provide for more democratic feedback and control by the people as well as a better system for comparing the success of certain health plans.

That's it for now, there's a lot more to say but I'll have to let you hash it out.