tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5931227998239921482.post4376428343762446203..comments2020-10-03T06:18:18.780-07:00Comments on Progressive Positive: Republican scum kill the free marketLanceMillerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12967321155433918187noreply@blogger.comBlogger1125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5931227998239921482.post-59778950375076968192008-09-18T17:21:00.000-07:002008-09-18T17:21:00.000-07:00The 1973 HMO Act in the US was promoted as an alte...The 1973 HMO Act in the US was promoted as an alternative to "socialized medicine" in the US, but by regulating HMOs and forcing certain employers to provide insurance, the HMO Act intervened severely in two markets: the job market and the health care market. In other words, the HMO Act embraced the worst possible aspects of socialized medicine without providing any of the benefits.<BR/><BR/>The McCain-Palin plan sounds like an even more radical version of the same plan. Take money out of the already over-regulated health care system - especially the most competitive health care plans - and spend it all on tax credits that encourage the health care industry to find some way to charge thousands of dollars of annual fees beyond services covered by health insurance.<BR/><BR/>Here's a simple alternative: repeal the HMO Act and limit regulation of the health care industry to issues of safety and ethics rather than social engineering. Local and national socialized coverage programs can expand or contract as long as lawmakers don't directly intervene in the private sector of the health insurance market.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03072541194513236270noreply@blogger.com