Posted by DavidRatowitz on 09/14/09

Health care is a deeply personal issue for me. I have close family with expensive and pre-existing conditions. As a small business owner, I have shopped for my own health insurance and health care. Health care is expensive and financed through an insurance system that excludes many Americans.
Unfortunately, the centrally planned models proposed by Democrats in Congress will not work. All of their plans share three fatal flaws: They fail to address 1) why Americans have so few insurance choices; 2) the rising costs of health care; and 3) why so many Americans have pre-existing conditions. Because of these failings, the Democratic proposals will cost a trillion dollars America can ill afford, without improving our health care system.
President Obama reminds us how few companies offer health insurance in most states, but avoids the reason why. The federal government allows states to restrict interstate commerce in health insurance. Rather than compound bad government policy with expensive bureaucracy, I advocate removing the bad policy. Allow health insurers to compete across state lines. Life and auto insurers compete nationally, and those markets are very competitive, managing to insure the riskiest of customers in ways our government restrained health insurance markets do not.
The Democratic proposals do not address the soaring costs of health care. President Obama's recognition of the need for tort reform is encouraging. Defensive medicine is believed to account for up to 25% of health care costs. Tort reform is only a first step toward controlling costs, but the Democratic proposals go no further. Specifically, their proposals do nothing to reduce the 66% of health care spending on preventable diseases. The Democrats favor politically appointed bureaucrats to control "costs". This model of centrally planned controls only results in false economies by arbitrarily limiting the health care available.
I advocate a free market solution: high deductible policies with medical savings accounts to reduce costs. My own policy costs far less than low-deductible policies, including savings to cover my deductible while protecting me from catastrophic costs and incentivizes me to live healthy and shop smart. The effectiveness of empowering health care consumers is demonstrated by elective medical procedures. Cosmetic surgery was once reserved for the super rich. Now these procedures, paid for entirely by the consumer, are affordable to most Americans. A free market system results in a healthier America and lower health care costs for all.
The majority of pre-existing conditions have one of two causes: forced change of insurance due to an interstate move, or an employment change. Removing government restrictions on competition will eliminate pre-existing conditions due to interstate moves. Pre-existing conditions due to job changes can be eliminated with a simple change to the tax code. Instead of allowing employers to deduct the cost of health insurance purchased for employees, allow the deduction for reimbursements made to the employees. This simple change would allow all Americans to have their own health insurance regardless of which employer reimburses the premiums, while also allowing employers to keep the tax deduction.
Health care in America must be reformed. The reforms needed to reduce the costs of health care and ensure access for more Americans require eliminating government obstacles, not the creation of new ones.

David Ratowitz is a Republican Candidate for Congress in Illinois' 5th District