Health care reform and common sense

Foster's editorial page weighs in on the health care debate:

In earlier sessions of Congress, Republicans wanted to allow health insurance policies to cross state lines. Their proposals would have allowed like groups to join together, regardless of state boundaries, in order to provide purchasing power and lower cost health insurance

But the Democrats cried foul. They argued state laws governing health coverage should be honored and allowing business groups and organizations to ignore such differences was tantamount to human sacrifice.

Now President Obama and his party are willing to have a national insurance program that does ignore state boundaries, but it allows for the government to do the picking and choosing of what is covered. That part of the insurance program, rationing health care, was rejected by consumers more than a decade ago. (more)

Allowing health insurance companies to compete across state lines would go a long way towards increasing risk pools, increasing choices, and lowering costs. It would take power away from regulators. That's why regulators oppose the idea.