I do not like the leviathan of a health care program cooked up by our government (VOTE THEM OUT) which will hit the middle class hard (huge tax hike) and very likely do nothing but bad things for the over-all availability of health care.

1.  Allow Competition

I want to see the rules lifted that prevent me, and small businesses, from buying health insurance across state lines.  That way if the rules in another state allow for a policy I like better than what is available in my own state, I can buy that policy.

Small businesses from all over could create organizations to pool together and choose a health plan from all across the nation to get the best deal for all their employees– all without a tax or more government intrusion but because of LESS government interference.

The self employed, tiny micro-business, could join an organizational of small businesses and get into a large pool for insurance; thus an independent contractor could join this group and get coverage just like the small business or the big businesses or the professional or other organization.

Individuals should be able to band together to create large groups to seek their own insurance as well.

There could be a Catholic group that buys health insurance as a block so as to get the BIG discounts. That way we could have a health insurance that is reasonable because the pool is huge and obeys the tenets of our religion–and not some government committee! Thus a Catholic could choose to buy the health insurance offered through work or join the Catholic pool instead–more choice!

AND I want to see this ability to create groups to be universal– so that no matter where you work you could join a health insurance pool by joining some organization, like joining the Boy Scouts or a church or a Star Trek fan club, that then negotiates an insurance program for their members.  The individual gets to choose what organization to join based on his or her own needs and belief systems.

MORE choice and better rates would result from people banding together and competition between companies.

2. Make SIMPLE rules for getting aid that includes health care

Simple, if the person CANNOT work due to a physical problem visible or invisible, then the doctor’s paperwork should be enough to put them on a basic level of support.  Human dignity is important.

Elderly cannot work, children cannot work– these should not be left without aid.

I have personally known several people who were really and truly messed up and should have been on disability right off.  Use Subsidiarity and let the doctors decide; if a doctor is giving out disability like candy then you fine HIM for cheating and make him do even more paperwork.

A person whose mental illness makes them unemployable no matter how medicated, a person unable to move one side of their body due to a stroke, a person whose diabetic problems have led to extreme dialysis or to amputations that won’t heal– these people should be given aid.

But an able bodied adult should be stuck with either finding work, or creating a business so they have work– but not able to get on welfare just because they made bad choices and so are too uneducated to find a job (we only need so many people to scrub toilets). Public education is free and self education using the public libraries is also free.  Lack of education should NOT be a reason to get aid from any government agency (presuming that the government has any place in aid at all).

Conclusion

The system needs work, but violating subsidiarity and creating an expensive set of government programs to administer health care destroys what is GOOD about our health care system and adds a horrendous tax on every productive citizen.  Lets give the individuals greater power to band together to buy group health insurance and let the free market respond to those demands.

Dear Lord, please grant wisdom to the voters in this country and to the leaders so that subsidiarity is the norm rather than the exception, that people gain greater power for creating their own insurance pools, that those who truly cannot work are aided and those who could work but refuse to do so are NOT aided. Thank You for the principles to guide us. Amen.