Real Health Care Reform

Michael Moore, who is promoting his new movie about the evils of capitalism, supports the public option. The public option is disingenuously promoted as a way to increase competition, which would logically give consumers more choice and lower prices.

Competition is what makes the free market economy work so well. When there are many companies competing for your business, they all try to see how they can offer better service and lower prices, so they can get more customers. And the consumer wins.

So why would a guy who believes capitalism is evil support something that seems so fundamentally based on the ideas of a free-market, capitalistic society? It is because the public option is not at all about what its proponents are publicly claiming. (more…)

Last week Senator Max Baucus released his healthcare reform bill, titled “America’s Healthy Future Act of 2009″. According to the CBO, it will cost $856 billion over the next 10 years.

Hundreds of amendments have been proposed, and markups are still happening. Here are some of the key provisions of the bill: (more…)

Before this country enacts any major healthcare reform (which will affect all Americans and approximately 1/6 of our economy), we all need to go into it with open eyes and clear understanding. Unfortunately however, President Obama is saying things about healthcare that are simply not true. Let’s examine a few of them…

1. “Nothing in this plan will require you or your employer to change the coverage or the doctor you have. Let me repeat this: nothing in our plan requires you to change what you have.”

Well, this one is clearly doesn’t pass the truth test. All bills being considered right now establish a minimum actuarial requirement that will make most high deductible plans obsolete. Those of us who prefer this type of plan will thus be forced to change to a richer and much more expensive plan. (more…)

Despite the President’s pledge to let you keep your current health insurance if you like it, lawmakers are currently considering proposals that could eliminate HSA plans as an option. At the very least, they may vote to outlaw the highest deductible, and thus least expensive plans.

If you have one of these plans, this will mean an immediate rate increase once you are forced to change to a lower deductible plan.

The Senate Finance Committee vote could be as early as tomorrow. (more…)

One of the things I have heard you often promise is that if you like your current health insurance, you can keep it. But is that really true?

I currently carry an HSA-qualified plan with a $7000 deductible. Because of the high deductible, this plan costs my son and I less than $150/month – about half of what a more conventional copay plan would cost. I am very health conscious, and rarely go to the doctor, so having this kind of plan saves me almost $2000 a year. I also have an inexpensive accident plan which has only a $100 deductible for accidents, so I feel very well covered. (more…)

Last week I was backpacking with my wife outside of Aspen, CO while President Obama gave a speech to congress urging passage of a healthcare reform bill. Though I was not able to hear the speech live (one of the greatest speeches ever given to Congress according to Nancy Pelosi), I did read the transcript.

Unfortunately, the speech may have been great but did not do anything to solve the problems with the current proposals. The biggest of these is cost. (more…)

The idea of an inexpensive, government-run plan that covers everybody is quite appealing. And what if we could save all that money that goes to profit? Imagine how great this would be?

Unfortunately, that is a fantasy.

Everybody should look closely at what things are really like in Canada and England, the two countries that are most cited as the model that many think we should follow. (more…)

Here’s an email that came in to our office a few weeks ago:

I already have two Health Savings Accounts, one through my employer, and the other through my wife’s. Hers is with the State of Indiana, and we are racking up HSA dollars faster than we can spend them! I have a life-threatening condition that requires frequent medical monitoring, and we have STILL been able to rack up over $5000 in three years, and every DIME that we have had to pay has been covered by our HSA! It’s like having FREE health care!

I’m telling you this because today, on the radio, I listened to highlights of … Obama’s “health plan.” Obama’s going to freakin’ destroy the only health insurance plan that makes economic sense – the HDHP/HSA combo. That bill is MUCH worse than I expected! (more…)