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Current federal law links a patient's access to health insurance to his employer, who buys a worker’s health plans, decides coverage and costs. Patient-employees take it or leave it. Since the employer owns the plan, when workers change jobs they cannot bring their coverage with them. Congress should enact a federal health care tax credit that offers the same tax benefits to individuals who buy health insurance on the individual market that is now available only for buying through an employer. I support allowing people to own their own health insurance coverage which they can take with them no matter what their job, and without incurring a tax penalty. I also support removing prohibitions, taxes or regulatory penalties for buying health insurance sold in another state. I oppose socialized medicine or universal health care which many find attractive because they believe they will not have to pay for it. Socialized health care has not improved the general health of patients served by such a system in other countries. Long waiting periods for operations and therapies are not conducive to enhancing the health of individuals requiring immediate care. Some federal reforms which could reduce costs and increase health care access include: allowing doctors to directly negotiate with insurance companies for payment reimbursements; allowing all Americans to become eligible for a Health Savings Account without requiring a high deductible insurance policy as a pre-condition; examining whether programs such as adult day care for dependent adults who live with their families could reduce Medicaid Nursing Home expenses. Health care costs are rising at faster rates than other segments of the American economy, partly due to excessive regulations, cost of research for new drugs and treatments, and recent behavioral influenced conditions such as AIDS and sexually transmitted diseases. Even the widespread practice of legal induced abortion has resulted in higher health care costs. For example, a December, 2007 study conducted by Virginia Commonwealth University found that previous abortion significantly increased Low Birth Rate and Premature Births. Low birth weight is one of the most important factors contributing to neonatal mortality and sickness and accounts for roughly two-thirds of all perinatal and infant deaths. |
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