Tuesday, June 22, 2004
Addressing the root causes of the uninsured
[Kristen Gerencher, "Middle class more vulnerable to care coverage lapses," Investor's Business Daily, 16 June 2004.]
Cato's Michael Cannon takes the position that the uninsured are a problem created by government intervention in this recent piece:
The uninsured problem is a result of the economic downturn and a government that has "fenced in" the health care system, allowing Americans to consider medical coverage an entitlement rather than a responsibility, argued Michael Cannon, director of health policy studies for the Cato Institute, a libertarian, free-market think tank.
"This survey indicates the failure of government intervention into the health care sector, rather than highlighting the need for more government involvement," Cannon claimed. "It highlights the opposite of what its authors want it to say."
For Cannon, health savings accounts are the most promising antidote to the uninsured. New this year, HSAs are meant to encourage employers who don't offer medical benefits to provide low-cost, high-deductible coverage.
Workers with a health plan that has an individual deductible of at least $1,000 a year or a family deductible of $2,000 could set aside that amount. The limit rises to $2,600 or $5,150 a year, respectively, if their deductibles are higher.
"As health savings accounts catch on, more and more people will start making more prudent decisions with their health care dollars," Cannon said, "and that will hold down health inflation, making insurance more affordable."
[Kristen Gerencher, "Middle class more vulnerable to care coverage lapses," Investor's Business Daily, 16 June 2004.]
Cato's Michael Cannon takes the position that the uninsured are a problem created by government intervention in this recent piece:
The uninsured problem is a result of the economic downturn and a government that has "fenced in" the health care system, allowing Americans to consider medical coverage an entitlement rather than a responsibility, argued Michael Cannon, director of health policy studies for the Cato Institute, a libertarian, free-market think tank.
"This survey indicates the failure of government intervention into the health care sector, rather than highlighting the need for more government involvement," Cannon claimed. "It highlights the opposite of what its authors want it to say."
For Cannon, health savings accounts are the most promising antidote to the uninsured. New this year, HSAs are meant to encourage employers who don't offer medical benefits to provide low-cost, high-deductible coverage.
Workers with a health plan that has an individual deductible of at least $1,000 a year or a family deductible of $2,000 could set aside that amount. The limit rises to $2,600 or $5,150 a year, respectively, if their deductibles are higher.
"As health savings accounts catch on, more and more people will start making more prudent decisions with their health care dollars," Cannon said, "and that will hold down health inflation, making insurance more affordable."
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