Few people would deny that something needs to change in the US health care system. Reasonable people can disagree about how to go about it but the major divide comes down to whether you respect others rights to their opinion or instead prefer to solve problems by force. Our rulers would have us believe the health care situation is one more example where free markets need the help of wise an noble legislators but there was no health care crisis before massive government intervention. As Harry Browne used to point out, before Medicare health care was cheap and accessible. Doctors made house calls. The problem didn’t exist until government became the single biggest buyer of health care.
There are plenty of easy effective steps that would lead to far lower costs and far easier access and they have been out there for years but Government these days won’t even consider any action that reduces their reach.
The solution can’t just throw taxpayer money at an even bigger bureaucracy. It has to address supply and it has to have real competition. The solution is reducing taxes and regulation not increasing them.
I’ve already blogged about pushing the issue back to the states which is how the welfare problem was solved. I’ve already blogged about making health insurance purchased by individuals tax equivalent to that purchased by employers and I’ve already blogged about Rand Paul’s comments about health care. Here is a link to an article by Hans-Hermann Hoppe with a set of sensible effective suggestions. When did President Obama address these suggestions? Are they coming up at the town halls? Maybe it’s up to us to make sure they do.