John Goodman on George W. Bush, State plans and HSA’s
We started HealthDot not so long ago because of a basic premise that seems shared by all with whom we speak: the American healthcare system is broken.
For this, we applaud George W. Bush’s comments last week during his State of the Union address. As reported, the Bush proposal offers tax deductions for those who purchase coverage up to certain thresholds while taxing those insured above those limits. Both outcomes would be a first for Americans if Congress passed laws that adhere to spirit of the Bush plan.
We view this as the beginning of a conversation though, not as an end. With a Bush White House and a Democratic Congress we don’t anticipate immediate resolutions.
After all, we remember 2004, 2000, 1996, 1992 ad nauseam as years in which we would finally and absolutely address America’s healthcare crisis and instead further postponed the issue.
As is well known, almost 50 million Americans are uninsured and the United States is well behind most industrialized nations in the quality of care afforded to its citizens despite spending more, per capita, on the problem.
Those on the right and left offer solutions and Bush’s, many agree would incentivise 5-6 million more Americans to insure themselves.
As Dr. Mark McClellan, former administrator for the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services and former commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration, told the Associated Press, “Most of the uninsured are people who are working and they’ve got a little bit too high of income to qualify for Medicaid or other government programs. If they buy health insurance they have to pay for it entirely out of their own pocket.”
And William Galston, a domestic policy adviser to President Clinton and a fellow at the Brookings Institution, countered, that while making insurance more affordable is a good idea, it doesn’t fully address the need for a comprehensive measure that covers all.
We believe healthcare solutions should solve a few issues: provide affordable insurance to all Americans, reduce the cost burden on business both large and small and increase the quality of our lives as late into our lives as possible.
The podcast above contains a conversation with John C. Goodman, founder of the National Center for Policy Analysis.
Sometimes called “the father of Health Savings Accounts,” he has a distinct position on resolving healthcare issues that is often associated with “conservative” or “Republican” positions. We don’t agree that labels such as these work though, as labels simplify positions and stifle dialog and debate.
We’re pleased to offer his thoughts on the Bush plan, as well as those being promoted by various States.
Discussion
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