I guess what I'm struggling to understand is why there is a belief that the federal government must offer health insurance to ensure competition. I understand the basic shortcomings of the McCarran-Ferguson Act as it relates to today's situation, the protection it offers the health insurers, and why a good case could be made for it to be repealed. However, once those limitations are removed, insurance policies can be offered on a national level/across state lines. This alone will increase competition. Also, I tend to disagree that legislation couldn't be passed mandating that pre-existing illness be covered, etc. There is nothing preventing the legislators from attempting to pass legislation that would severely constrain the insurers. That alone may put some insurers out of business. Might give rise to other competitors too. Not passing this particular bill wouldn't mean the end of insurance regulation. It would be up to the federal government to hold the insurers' feet to the fire. No loopholes, no unlimited premiums, etc. It might be like the airline industry before deregulation where the government basically dictated cities carriers could service, routes the could fly, etc. Once that industry was deregulated, competition increased. Thus the (airline) carriers were forced to compete on service and price. Same thing would happen in the insurance industry. I guess I'm advocating that a little needs to be taken out of here and a little more added elsewhere.

Having the federal government offer health insurance and acting as a competitor is akin to the fox guarding the hen house in my opinion. They will change the rules to suit them until they eliminate all competition. Then all choices are gone and they are the only provider and can provide whatever level of service they see fit.

Additionally, the federal government has had the opportunity to try and repeal this law. Why haven't they? They've seen fit for six decades to sit on their hands and do nothing. Now many are ecstatic about the same “do-nothing for the citizens” entity administering their health care. Perplexing.


Kind Regards,
Jay

Almost all of us long for peace and freedom; but very few of us have much enthusiasm for the thoughts, feelings, and actions that make for peace and freedom. - Aldous Huxley

Was the government to prescribe to us our medicine and diet, our bodies would be in such keeping as our souls are now. - Thomas Jefferson