Good health insurance is expensive
Congressional Quarterly reports on a recent study from the American Enterprise Institute, evaluating different hypothetical scenarios that would allow people to purchase health insurance across state lines. The AEI found that if individuals were allowed to purchase health policies in nearby state, up to 12 million more people would leave the rolls of the uninsured. This supports the organization’s general contention that increased competition and less regulation for businesses, is good for consumers.
However, the results raised serious questions for many health policy researchers, who noted that inexpensive “policies” often don’t cover basic health care needs for consumers.
Karen Pollitz, the Georgetown University professor who runs healthinsuranceinfo.net, reacted to the findings:
“[Saying that policies that don't cover a consumer's health needs are cheaper than those that do is] like saying a roller skate is cheaper than a car. … Good health insurance that will take care of you when you’re sick is expensive because health care is expensive. … The regulations [in states that have them] require that the insurance be meaningful.”
Click here: Congressional Quarterly’s story.