The last thing patients need is for the
government to inject more socialism into their health care in
the name of expanding coverage. To borrow a phrase from
President Reagan, government is not the solution to U.S.
health care problems. It is the problem.
Most of America's health care is private, so many assume it
operates as a free market. In truth, it is dominated by the
government, resulting in high costs and stifling bureaucracy.
The federal government effectively socializes 86% of all
health spending, a greater share than in 17 other
industrialized countries, including Canada (though other
features make these systems less free).
By discouraging individual responsibility, the government
guarantees irresponsibility. We pay less attention to our
health and demand more care — with little regard to the costs
we impose on others or the rising prices that result. (Should
it surprise us that health insurance is unaffordable for
millions?) Those footing the bill — employers, insurers and
the government — try to impose responsibility in ways both
offensive and harmful.
Estimates by Harvard economist Martin Feldstein suggest that
the federal government's quasi-socialization of private
insurance alone will leave us nearly $200 billion worse off
this year. Moreover, Chris Conover of Duke University
estimates that health regulations will leave us $128 billion
worse off. Taken together, that is more than what taxpayers
will spend on Medicare or Medicaid in 2004. The only way to
make health care affordable is to get the government out.
Democratic presidential hopeful John Kerry sees only bad
outcomes — rising prices, millions of uninsured — rather than
root causes. He therefore recommends more socialism (under the
guise of "expanding coverage") even though this would further
increase costs and make a total government takeover
inevitable.
Though President Bush's record is far from perfect, he
supports strengthening health savings accounts, which reduce
the government's role in health care. Health savings accounts
restore individual responsibility, curb medical inflation and
will make health care and insurance more affordable for
millions.
Ronald Reagan demonstrated that free markets are superior to
socialism.
So why do we continue to tolerate socialism in our health care
system?
Michael F. Cannon is director of health policy studies at the
Cato Institute.
