My Health Care Plan

· Thursday, March 18, 2010

Liberals keep complaining that Republicans don't have a plan for reforming health care in America. I have a plan!

It's a one-page bill creating a free market in health insurance. Let's all pause here for a moment so liberals can Google the term "free market."

Nearly every problem with health care in this country -- apart from trial lawyers and out-of-date magazines in doctors' waiting rooms -- would be solved by my plan.

In the first sentence, Congress will amend the McCarran-Ferguson Act to allow interstate competition in health insurance.

We can't have a free market in health insurance until Congress eliminates the antitrust exemption protecting health insurance companies from competition. If Democrats really wanted to punish insurance companies, which they manifestly do not, they'd make insurers compete.

The very next sentence of my bill provides that the exclusive regulator of insurance companies will be the state where the company's home office is. Every insurance company in the country would incorporate in the state with the fewest government mandates, just as most corporations are based in Delaware today.

That's the only way to bypass idiotic state mandates, requiring all insurance plans offered in the state to cover, for example, the Zone Diet, sex-change operations, and whatever it is that poor Heidi Montag has done to herself this week.

President Obama says we need national health care because Natoma Canfield of Ohio had to drop her insurance when she couldn't afford the $6,700 premiums, and now she's got cancer.

Much as I admire Obama's use of terminally ill human beings as political props, let me point out here that perhaps Natoma could have afforded insurance had she not been required by Ohio's state insurance mandates to purchase a plan that covers infertility treatments and unlimited ob/gyn visits, among other things.

It sounds like Natoma could have used a plan that covered only the basics -- you know, things like cancer.

The third sentence of my bill would prohibit the federal government from regulating insurance companies, except for normal laws and regulations that apply to all companies.

Freed from onerous state and federal mandates turning insurance companies into public utilities, insurers would be allowed to offer a whole smorgasbord of insurance plans, finally giving consumers a choice.

Instead of Harry Reid deciding whether your insurance plan covers Viagra, this decision would be made by you, the consumer. (I apologize for using the terms "Harry Reid" and "Viagra" in the same sentence. I promise that won't happen again.)

Instead of insurance companies jumping to the tune of politicians bought by health-care lobbyists, they would jump to the tune of hundreds of millions of Americans buying health insurance on the free market.

Hypochondriac liberals could still buy the aromatherapy plan and normal people would be able to buy plans that only cover things like major illness, accidents and disease. (Again -- things like Natoma Canfield's cancer.)

This would, in effect, transform medical insurance into ... a form of insurance!

My bill will solve nearly every problem allegedly addressed by ObamaCare -- and mine entails zero cost to the taxpayer. Indeed, a free market in health insurance would produce major tax savings as layers of government bureaucrats, unnecessary to medical service in America, get fired.

For example, in a free market, the government wouldn't need to prohibit insurance companies from excluding "pre-existing conditions."

Of course, an insurance company has to be able to refuse new customers with "pre-existing conditions." Otherwise, everyone would just wait to get sick to buy insurance. It's the same reason you can't buy fire insurance on a house that's already on fire.

That isn't an "insurance company"; it's what's known as a "Christian charity."

What Democrats are insinuating when they denounce exclusions of "pre-existing conditions" is an insurance company using the "pre-existing condition" ruse to deny coverage to a current policy holder -- someone who's been paying into the plan, year after year.

Any insurance company operating in the free market that pulled that trick wouldn't stay in business long.

If hotels were as heavily regulated as health insurance is, right now I'd be explaining to you why the government doesn't need to mandate that hotels offer rooms with beds. If they didn't, they'd go out of business.

I'm sure people who lived in the old Soviet Union thought it was crazy to leave groceries to the free market. ("But what if they don't stock the food we want?")

The market is a more powerful enforcement mechanism than indolent government bureaucrats. If you don't believe me, ask Toyota about six months from now.

Right now, insurance companies are protected by government regulations from having to honor their contracts. Violating contracts isn't so easy when competitors are lurking, ready to steal your customers.

In addition to saving taxpayer money and providing better health insurance, my plan also saves trees by being 2,199 pages shorter than the Democrats' plan.

Feel free to steal it, Republicans!

COPYRIGHT 2010 ANN COULTER
DISTRIBUTED BY UNIVERSAL UCLICK


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Comments

veritaseequitas

Gotta love Ann Coulter...she makes sense! Sadly, that is precisely the reason that her insurance plan would not be adopted. It is too simple, it makes too much sense and it does require some effort on the part of the insured to do some research and shell out some cash for what they want instead of having the taxpayers do it for them.

Posted March 18, 2010 at 6:59:38 AM


Robert M. Smith

There you go again Ann, using logic to solve a problem created by government. How silly.

Posted March 18, 2010 at 8:26:52 AM


David S.

Yeah, I mean, if you did this than what if the government found out that deregulation actually works? I mean, think about it... FEMA, the FCC, the EPA, the Dept of Education, etc... they might all be eliminated or privatized and go away... OHHHHHH NNNNNNNOOOOOOOO!!!!!!! (That was the wail of about 5 million or so federal employees having to go into the private sector and get jobs there)

Posted March 18, 2010 at 8:39:45 AM


Roy S.

But what about all those poor illegal aliens?

Posted March 18, 2010 at 9:01:58 AM


Marcus

Why doesn't Ann run in 2012? It would be great to have a president who would veto any bill more than two pages. Not just veto it, but burn it and send the ashes back to congress. I would love to hear honest SOTU's that lasted only 10 minutes or less. I would love to see a president dismantle all the useless federal departments. I would love to see a president put impartial justices on the bench. And wouldn't it be great if we had a president that told the world that America is great and is going to keep getting better and they are welcome to join in to make the world better, but if you choose to go against us you will suffer dire consequences.

C'mon Ms. Coulter, put it out there for 2012!

Posted March 18, 2010 at 10:16:18 AM


Ruth Ann Wilson

My Health Care Plan - At Federal LEVEL - NONE AT ALL. UNCONSTITUTIONAL.

It is time to "Clean House". Whatever is on the books that is UNCONSTITUTIONAL needs to be REPEALED,

Social Security

Everybody gets paid back with interest.

Those that are on the "Contract" and do not want a "cash settlement with interest", the Federal government must stay faithful to the contract, because it was "FORCED". We, the people, Trusted the Federal government

The Federal government has "FORCED" all this money from the Americans, if the government put it in the "general fund" and the Congress has "appropriated the money" for other projects, it is time and "Clean House".

STOP all this "redistribution of our wealth".

For God & Country

Ruth Ann Wilson

Posted March 18, 2010 at 11:47:00 AM


Jimmy D

I'm with Marcus!

Who else have we got?

C'mon Ann. Why dodge cream pies when you could have the whole Secret Service protecting you? (Yeah, Okay, like, you'd REALLY need them, but, well...)

This isn't a matter of Right vs Left!

It isn't a question of our going Up or Down!

This is about the complete idiots vs the merely half-witted, with the occasional refreshing somewhat sensible person being called on to step to the plate and swing away!

Ann, that article leaves no more doubt. You're on deck!

Our problem really isn't politics at all. It's all an issue of NADDS, National Attention Deficit Disorder Syndrome. How can anyone reason with people who can't sit still? And who can sit still when these hideous Politicos start droning on?

Think! There'd be no more Speeches, no more Altered States of the Union.

There'd just be the Beaudacious President Ann Coulter Show. Everyone would watch, whether in terror or glee.

Ann!

This could be really FUN!

This could be Americas last possible chance to PAY ATTENTION!

Posted March 18, 2010 at 11:51:28 AM


Jimmy D

OK...Seriously.

Ann Coulter, you should run for President.

Just make it plain that this is an educational exercise and pray that there is someone you can enthusiastically support when we get down to the wire.

You really have a blessed God given gift for bringing humor into the world of common sense and the science is all over it that people actually absorb way more when they're smiling, so you GO Girl!

P.S - I'm really sure your business manager would agree with me. WCS, you still get a great book!

Posted March 18, 2010 at 12:06:24 PM


Rick

Ann

Please Run for Senator or wait until Mike Hukabee wins the Presidency in 2012 and you can be on his Cabinet as the Common Sense Czar.

Posted March 18, 2010 at 12:59:03 PM


Jimmy D

No way Rick.

Huckabee'd drop the Common Sense job for an Office of Banal Flattery and Grating Condescension and have no place for Ann at all.

I really like the Senator idea though!

She could do that straight up and I'd wanna move to the appropriate State just to vote for her!

Posted March 18, 2010 at 1:46:32 PM


MichaelSSEC

Why put Ms Coulter into an office where she couldn't actually accomplish much, when we could have her in a place where she would actually do a great deal of good: the US Supreme Court. Think what a mind like Ms Coulter's could do for the Constitution there!

Ms Coulter, I really don't know if you're one of those columnists that actually reads these comments (I know several others do), but on the chance, I'd like to say that this is a brilliant plan. You know it's not new, we know it's not new. The only people who think you came up with this plan are the Leftist pinheads -- those who really would need to look up the term "free markets." But those of us who have endorsed this plan for years understand perfectly that you're being sarcastic when you say it's your plan. Hell, if we could get the thing passed, I'd be delighted to not only put your name on it, but tattoo it on my butt!

If Democrats were even remotely concerned about Americans' health care, the argument would be over what sort of free market reforms to enact, how best to allow competition to drive prices down, and how to educate the people about what insurance actually IS -- and what it's not. Instead, they've made the argument all about massively expanding government and taking control of the myriad tiny details of people's lives. Because THAT's what Democrats care about, and nothing more.

Posted March 18, 2010 at 3:25:59 PM


jimzgotdemzunderhisskinz

Hold the phone! Am I missing something here? Is this about Healthcare? I thought this whole fiasco was about tyrannical control of a major sector of our economy to implement further sequential steps toward socialization of our country. I guess I'd be wrong. Pay attention to the man behind the curtain, please.

Posted March 18, 2010 at 4:20:17 PM


ILEANA

Brilliant plan, Ms. Coulter! Too bad none of the politicians are listening to common sense and to you. There is too much pork at stake for them to give it up over such a frivolous issue as health insurance.

Posted March 19, 2010 at 10:43:45 AM


george

sorry to burst your bubble but that only creates another complete monopoly. In recent times we unfortunately create more and more of them ........... or are you too rich to buy gasoline and see the creature you want to create??????/

Posted March 22, 2010 at 12:27:39 AM


Bruce in Texas

Great! But what is the common sense way to handle pre-existing conditions. When/if you get cancer et. al., if you are stuck in group ins, the costs skyrocket as group members leave. If you lose your ins. you are in real trouble. Obamacare will destroy america if allowed to stand, but if repealed, what about those of us who need affordable insurance the most?

Posted March 22, 2010 at 12:05:55 PM


Bruce in Texas

Great! But what is the common sense way to handle pre-existing conditions. When/if you get cancer et. al., if you are stuck in group ins, the costs skyrocket as group members leave. If you lose your ins. you are in real trouble. Obamacare will destroy america if allowed to stand, but if repealed, what about those of us who need affordable insurance the most?

Posted March 22, 2010 at 12:06:11 PM


Larry

I like this gal's way of thinking! Her plan for REAL healthcare reform is truly what this country needs. There is constant talk of electing a woman to the office of the Presidency, and if we are serious, this is the caliber of woman to fill that role.

Posted March 22, 2010 at 12:42:30 PM


Steve

I like your idea but I'd like to go one step further. Health care providers should band together and provide their own "insurance". Many providers today belong to huge groups like Wellstar or Piedmont here in the Atlanta area. They should provide membership opportunities where you pay an annual premium and you get the care according to the terms of the membership agreement. That way the care providers can make the decisions on what care needs to be provided without having insurance companies involved. Insurance companies can still exist per your plan but let's have the providers offer an alternative option.

Posted March 22, 2010 at 12:43:12 PM


Carolyn Sawrie

I heard the news of the "vote" at an airport and didn't know whether to cry or vomit. Taxation without representation is alive and well in Washington, D.C. We should all be fighting to get the incumbents out of office as quickly as possible and filling those seats with members who will represent we, the people.

My grandchildren and great-grandchildren will be paying dearly for this catastropic decision made with illegal moves, bribes, and promises of great things to those who refused to "buck" the president. Never in my life have I been so angry and so misrepresented by my country's government.

Posted March 22, 2010 at 3:40:50 PM


Sick

Now that Congress has taken control of our health care, I would love to see everyone with any illness sitting in his/her Congressperson's office with vomit, spittle whatever the result of their illness to demand the Congressperson take care of them.

Posted March 22, 2010 at 8:07:57 PM


richard j lindstrom

Dear Ann;

As usual,and I say this as a devoted and intelligent viewer(especially when you appear on FOX News anytime ),you are right on the proverbial Money.

With my fervent wishes being,sadly and to your reader's detriment,that your brilliant statement is not incorporated into the now infamous,HC Bill,if one may choose to call it that.

My personal views coincide with yours in most every word.

Respectfully and appreciatively,

Richard(Dick) Lindstrom

Venice,Florida

Posted March 23, 2010 at 1:59:31 PM


reallytiredofbo

I would like to point to the Shriners Hospitals as a case in point of charity. Most don't even have a billing department. They exist solely due to Masonic charity. Through their altruistic efforts a child who has 1st degree burns over 60% of their body stands an excellent chance of survival and rehabilitation. 50 years ago that child would have died.

Posted April 1, 2010 at 4:15:38 PM


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