This weekend I heard a Republican politician on the radio arguing his health care plan was “pro-free market” and Obama’s was more “big government.” But his plan would stop insurance companies from being able to turn anyone away.
Okay people, let’s get real. It’s one thing to say you want to get the government out of healthcare if you’re still planning on having the government enforce contracts. Or keep the government-enforced monopoly by doctors (if you don’t believe it’s a monopoly, just ask a homeopathy practitioner). Or keep some form of drug patents that give drug companies a monopoly — although how anybody can support the current rigged drug patent system as “pro-free market” is beyond me. Maybe, if you close your eyes and put your hands over your ears, you can even pretend you’re pro-free-market if you don’t want to abolish Medicare.
But insisting that insurance companies have to accept everyone who wants to join them? Come on. The most efficient way insurance company can make a profit is by reducing the number of people they ensure who are either sick or likely to get sick. That’s the best strategy dictated by the free-market.
Arguing that a conservative healthcare plan is “pro-free-market” is like arguing a BLT is a vegetarian sandwich because 2 out of the 3 ingredients are vegetables.
