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Tom Campbell

Wyden-Bennett Jan 29th

by Tom Campbell // Comments

It’s a vast improvement over the Democrats’ bills that came out of the House or the Senate. I would certainly be open to using Wyden-Bennett as the basis for a truly bi-partisan effort at health care insurance.

I particularly like the idea of moving the deduction from the employer to the employee. However, I still think my proposal is better. Wyden-Bennett collapses Medicaid and SCHIP into a plan similar to FEHBP. All employers have to pay a tax to cover their employees, and all individuals must participate.

Although FEHBP does offer some freedom to choose among alternatives, it’s not as broad a choice as we have under the present system. For instance, an individual can rationally choose a high-deductable, catastrophic only plan in today’s health care insurance market; after Wyden-Bennett, the freedom to make that choice would be taken away. My proposal focuses on just two problems: pre-existing conditions, and those too poor to afford health care insurance, but not so poor as to be eligible for Medicaid.

If we can address those areas adequately, we’ve done what we should. Note that I also advocate eliminating the antitrust exemption for health care insurers, I would provide for the interstate sale of health care insurance, and I would add serious tort reform to save what Price Waterhouse estimates is 10% of today’s cost of delivered medicine: unnecessary procedures and prescriptions ordered to avoid legal liability.

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  • I could not agree with you more. It is time for Americans to call their representative and demand that Wyden-Bennett gets its hearing. I did.
  • John
    Wrong. Wrong. Wrong. But symptomatic of your approach. You are a Tom Kuchel Republican. Your approach is to advocate what the Democrats want, just not so much. We do not need more government on any level. We need less. That means less interference with the marketplace. Less direction from Washington. Fewer rules from above. Your answer is always a governmental answer. Endorsing (even in the mealy mouthed way you have) the Wyden Bennett bill demonstrates your complete lack of qualifications to carry the Republican banner.
  • tvchurch
    Not to mention the CBO said Wyden-Bennett is the only plan that would *actually* bend the cost curve backward.

    Keep up the good work Tom.
  • Skipper_C
    Wyden-Bennett is a good bill, and I'm glad you're open to voting for it. It's probably our best shot at lowering health care costs at the moment. If you want to read up on it, here's the Wikipedia page for it: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Healthy_Americans_Act

    Of course, the better option than reinstating the tax on employer plans (and more politically palatable) would be to drop all taxation on health plans purchased by individuals. Why not give employees the choice of the employer plan or extra salary to pay for their own plan with the coverage of their choice?

    Last thing we need is more bureaucracy and government handouts, and this bill is far superior to the current Senate bill. I really appreciate you for commenting on this Tom. I'm a bit of a disillusioned voter with libertarian leanings and I think I've found a man I can vote for. Keep up the good work!

    P.S. The "demon sheep" ad made me curious about who you were. Needless to say, it backfired. I was pleasantly surprised.
  • Dave T
    You don't sound like a conservative here. I doubt that Fiorina would be in practice. You are the last hope for REAL conservatives, limited government, out of my heathcare. Man up.
  • Brian
    I applaud your advocacy of tort reform and opening the medical insurance markets. What about old-fashioned cash for medical service? What are the barriers to paying a doctor a reasonable cash price for an office visit? It seems as though the mere presence of insurance (or pre-paid medical) distorts the market. The so-called "market" rates are negotiated in back-room deals with the insurance companies (or government), and individual cash paying customers are powerless in the market place. Is there a free-market solution that would allow a willing customer to pay a willing doctor in cash? Do we need to allow WalMart to open cash only medical clinics in order to have true competition?
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