The 2006 so-called health-care “reforms”  did little to make health-care cost, quality, and access better in our state.  As a taxpayer, former business owner, and candidate for governor, I owe it to the people of this state (and country) to explain (1) why these “reforms” failed and should not be imposed upon all 50 states and (2) what my plan is for getting the Bay State back on track.

First and foremost, our reforms were based on the faulty notion that health care is some sort of “right” which must be guaranteed by the government.  Rights are not entitlements to goods or products that must be produced by another.  There is no such thing as a right to a car, or a tonsillectomy.  Instead, we have the right to be left alone and purchase as much or as little health-care as we choose.

Our state’s current problem are the results of policy makers, bureaucrats, lobbyists, and insurers (a few of which are my opponents) violating this basic right and limiting our freedom to purchase what we want and from whom.  Now, we are forced to choose from a limited set of insurance plans on terms set by Beacon Hill and special interest, rather than ourselves.  In the end, like education reform and the Big Dig, Beacon Hill lied to the people and sold this reform as something that would make life better all while saving us money.

As with the rest of these “reforms”, this plan has become a budget buster.  In 2006, I predicted that this plan would cost the state much more than the state’s original estimates.  Not surprisingly, since this reform was implemented, health insurance premiums in Massachusetts have risen significantly faster than the national average.  At an average of nearly $14,000 per year, our state’s family plans are now the nation’s most expensive.

As our state’s families and businesses suffer, our remaining insurers have been having a field day.  As with most “reforms”, the special interests made sure that there was no cost containment component in the bill.  In fact, as I write, our state’s insurers are planning yet another double-digit premium hike.

To stop health-care costs from going even more out of control, state policy makers have proposed a “global payment” system.  Under this system, if your care costs less than the annual allotment, then they keep the unused amount. If your care costs more, then the difference comes out of the providers’ pockets. This system pits your doctor’s interests against your own and creates a tremendous incentive for physicians and hospitals to deliver bare minimum care.  There has to be a better way.

Today, I am putting forth the following plan to ease the burden of these reforms on our state’s taxpayers and businesses.  My aim is to provide economic justice to those who pay so much. I also seek to put power to make health-care decisions back in the hands of doctors and patients — and no where else.  This is a bond that’s worked for centuries, and it can work again today.

We should repeal all laws such as community rating and guaranteed issue, which have made Massachusetts’ insurance rates amongst the highest in the country.  Instead, our state should allow people to buy more affordable coverage that is available in other states.  By allowing insurance companies to compete across state lines, this would immediately make the best offerings of all 50 states available to Massachusetts residents.  This plan also has the potential to dramatically cut insurance expenses for many residents.

I also want to allow people to set up health savings accounts (HSAs) for routine expenses and purchase catastrophic-only insurance for major expenses.   Under our current system, HSA-qualified plans are unaffordable and essentially illegal.  These reforms would empower patients and lower costs by making patients not just the consumers, but paying customers of medical care and insurance.

We must have tort reform and caps on jury awards brought on by unscrupulous lawyers.  Let the loser in these legal cases pay both the cost to the Commonwealth and jury reward.  Doctors and nurses are so overcome by ordering needless tests to protect themselves against the scourge of legal attack that they are giving up and retiring at an early age as lawyers rule the day.

Finally, I believe we must investigate the constant double-digit increases in our state’s health insurance premiums over the past ten years by HMOs and other “nonprofit”  organizations. As our taxpayers are being forced to choose between food, housing costs, and health-care costs, these organizations are making money hand over fist.  Their balance sheets are bulging with cash, investments, and rewards for their management teams and board members who have huge salaries and other perks.

Our state is blessed to be the home of some of the world’s best physicians, researchers, and medical facilities.  As one of our state’s largest industries, the Commonwealth’s economy and our quality of life depend on the services and the innovations provided by and created in the health-care sector.  Unfortunately, this industry, our lives, and our rights have been put in jeopardy by reforms implemented on Beacon Hill.

Rather than having our lawmakers continuously impose new state controls and taxes to address the problems caused by our earlier controls, we need to start moving forward with new ideas that will save our state money, respect individual rights, and truly reform health-care.  Then, and only then, will we have real reforms that Massachusetts can be proud of having as the national model.

Tags: Beacon Hill, christy mihos, Commonwealth, Deval Patrick, Economy, health care, HEALTHCARE, Jobs, ma governor, Massachusetts, mihos, Republican, Taxes

This entry was posted on Tuesday, January 5th, 2010 at 5:04 pm and is filed under Christy Campaign News. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.