Let's get back to some basic concepts regarding health care reform. Too often, health insurance is conflated with health care.
Insurance is a means of protection against financial loss due to a catastrophic event, not the means to cover all related health care costs. Homeowners insurance does not cover maintenance items such as painting or lawn care. Auto insurance does not cover car washes or oil changes. If they did, insurance would be unaffordable.
If we are going to mandate health insurance coverage for all, then perhaps only catastrophic insurance should be mandated, not a one size fits all program crafted by politicians in D.C. It is impossible to control health care costs when a third party, not the ultimate consumer, is paying the bill. Competition is always the best way to manage costs.
Give consumers more choices that fit their individual needs. Everyone will benefit from lower costs, particularly the poor and middle class which needs the most help.
— Mark Wiese, Tualatin
