Saturday, January 30, 2010
R. Emmett Tyrell, Jr., founder and editor in chief of The American Spectator, has several conservative alternatives to the Democrats’ healthcare reform “monstrosity.” For starters, the expense of the American medical system, which has kept millions from accessing care, could be offset by allowing every citizen, except Medicare recipients and military personnel, to receive a refundable tax credit for opening Health Savings Accounts (HSAs).
With respect to HSAs, the government also should raise the cap on the amount of money that people can put into them. Another change advocated by Tyrell is allowing Americans who open HSAs to purchase health insurance in any state in the country.
Another way to bring down costs would involve implementing tort reform. “Reckless malpractice lawsuits account for at least half a trillion dollars in wasted healthcare expenses annually, through jackpot lawsuits and the unnecessary tests prescribed by doctors fearful of the reach of trial lawyers,” writes Tyrell.
The conservative publisher is even willing to support the government giving out vouchers to the poor for them to pay for their healthcare, “up to a certain amount annually.”
-Noel Brinkerhoff
Healthcare: A Modest Proposal (by R. Emmett Tyrell, Jr., American Spectator)
Comments