Viable Health Care System Alternatives

"You don't need to be helped any longer. You've always had the power to go back to Kansas."
--Glinda (The Wizard of Oz)

At the end of this piece, Richard Epstein observes that the Obama administration regularly derides critics for not coming up with viable alternatives to the Affordable Care Act. Of course, when the president says 'viable,' he means compliant with his view of the world.

The alternative that has always been available is the natural, peaceful one. Withdraw aggression from the system. Allow people to produce and trade freely among themselves. For example, why not remove regulation that bars interstate insurance trade? Competition will increase, which will drive gains in efficiency and improvements in care. Health care prices will go down and quality will go up.

Further, remove costly regulatory and licensing requirements that raise barriers to entrepreneurial entry. Typically, major innovation comes from new entrants into an industry rather than from incumbents. Any impediment to entry reduces the likelihood of major medical breakthrough.

Such alternatives carry the added economic and moral benefit of being aggression-free. No guns are pointed at people to force them into things that they do not want to do.

Indeed, 'viable' alternatives are right there in front of you, Mr President. As an old sage used to tell me, "If you have eyes, see. If you have ears, listen."

I would add, "If you have a brain, engage it and think."