Shadegg Bill Will Cut High Health Care Costs That Hurt Competitiveness
The Health Care Choice Act Uses Market Forces to Control Costs
Washington,
Mar 1, 2006 -
Getting patients more involved in health care decisions is the best way to control spiraling health care costs. The Health Care Choice Act (H.R. 2355) lets individuals and families decide what health insurance plan is right for them, and reduces costs by avoiding red tape and expensive state mandates.
“We live in the internet era, but we are using a health care system designed for the radio age,” Shadegg said. “We need to help people, not by setting up a massive new government bureaucracy, but by empowering individuals to make the best choice for themselves and their families.”
The Health Care Choice Act will help bring down the cost of health insurance as much as 12 percent, on average, by letting people compare insurance plans across the country and pick the one that is right for them. Among the 44 million Americans who lack health insurance, and have incomes below 200 percent of the federal poverty level, two-thirds cite “unaffordability” as the top reason that they are uninsured. By offering people choices in a nationwide health insurance market we will reduce the cost of health insurance for all Americans.
“Rather than creating policies tailored individually to each state, this will allow an insurance company to qualify a policy in one state and sell it to people across the country,” Shadegg said. “It allows consumers to purchase the health insurance policy that is right for them.”
Also, increasing interstate commerce in health insurance would remove a significant barrier to the efficient allocation of human resources in our economy. Right now, a number of Americans are in a position where they may be without health insurance when they need it most; when they switch jobs or start a business. By lowering the cost of individual insurance options, we can give them the flexibility to shop nationwide for policies that fit their changing needs.
