Logical, American Solution to Health Care Reform

Today's WSJ Opinion Journal has an excellent, straightforward article written by scholars from Stanford's Hoover Institution and the Columbia Business School outlining a common sense approach to health care reform. The piece outlines measures that actually address the primary concern that most Americans have with the existing system, the rising costs for the excellent health care we receive in this country.

The recommendations are summarized in this excerpt, "To reduce the growth of costs, individuals must take greater responsibility for their health care, and health insurers and health-care providers must face the competitive forces of the market. Three policy changes will go a long way to achieving these objectives: (1) eliminate the tax code's bias that favors health insurance over out-of-pocket spending; (2) remove state-government barriers to purchasing and providing health services; and (3) reform medical malpractice laws."

Will these happen while the Obama administration and the existing Congress are in power? Not a chance. It simply does not accomplish their primary goal. That being greater centralization of government power and more control over some of the most important and personal decisions most of us will ever make. Nevertheless, the case must be made forcefully, clearly, and repeatedly by those challenging the statists so that the American electorate can take corrective action this November and in 2012.