Soul_of_Wit (358 posts)
26. Simple answer
Because Republicans don't want it in place
A serious answer to a complex situation that is intertwined with government agencies as well as private business will not have a simple answer. Sorry.
One of the thoughts I've had for a long time, and I believe there used to be some arguments floating around to support it, is for Congress to step up and use their Constitutional power over interstate commerce to write and pass a law that says health insurance can be sold across state lines. This eliminates have a dozen Blue Cross and Blue Shield companies, each with their own infrastructure and costs, as well as broadening the risk pools from the citizens of each state to all the states the insurance companies are operating in. Both of these should lower costs by lowering overhead and spreading payouts over larger groups of customers. Congress could also reform tort laws, so people can't sue for psychotic amounts of money over tiny issues, also lowering costs for insurance companies.
Yes, there are too many lawyers in Congress and they get too much money from the insurance industry (Ds and Rs) but is my logic and understanding incorrect? No, these would not solve all the cost issues, but they should significantly lower the prices of insurance and medical care, while maintaining competition to provide the best service at the best price, right?
Yes, Soul_of_Wit(less) there's a lot more to it all then "Republicans don't like it" or "let the government take care of it all".
