Government should mostly stay out of health care reform
Tim Peck | Asheville Citizen-Times | February 11, 2010
I urge my representative in Washington, D.C., Congressman Heath Shuler, to persist in his opposition to socialized health care and continue to vote against it whenever it raises its head. Not because the health care reform proposal does too little or needs improvement, but because it's wrong; morally and practically. It's a public policy clunker and should be scrapped.
Instead, Rep. Shuler should support free market health care reforms -- such as establishing interstate insurance markets and promoting Health Savings Accounts. Why? Because it would be both good policy and good politics. According to CNN, 8 of 10 Americans are happy with their current health care, but are legitimately concerned about rising costs. Such reforms would address these concerns and preserve quality of care without coercing unwilling Americans into a costly government-run health care regime that would mandate individuals purchase health insurance as a condition of citizenship.
President Obama has recently implored Congress to move forward on health care, "even if it's difficult." That it is becoming difficult is precisely why it should fail. A health care reform failure would be a big win for Shuler -- and America.
TIM PECK
ASHEVILLE
