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 June 25, 2009

Testimony on House Health Care Bill

The Heritage Foundation’s Director of the Center for Health Policy Studies, Robert Moffit, testified last week at the first hearing on the House Health Care Bill before the Committee on Education and Labor in the House of Representatives. Read his testimony, entitled “Statement on the Tri-Committee Draft Proposal for Health Care Reform”.

Read John Sheils’ (VP, The Lewin Group) testimony before the House Energy and Commerce Committee on the health care bill, entitled “The Impact of the House Health Reform Legislation on Coverage and Provider Incomes”.

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Comments Author: Kisa Smith
  • John S.
    Good statement. You correctly point out that the government option would disadvantage private plans – fair enough.
    However, did you suggest in your final comment that it is the federal government’s role that “low income working Americans, should be the beneficiaries of direct assistance to enable them to get health insurance coverage.” If you did suggest it was the federal government’s role: Should they get the same coverage as the rich? Why not? Any moral hazards opened up at taxpayer expense? Although government participation in this area may help the neediest, once the government starts to get further involved the costs to societal health deteriorate beyond the ostensible gains to some of the neediest. If you did not suggest that it was the federal government’s role, you might have mentioned private charities, local government or cooperatives. If you are on a slippery slope, I suggest you review Melchior Palyi’s 1950 book, Compulsory Medical and the Welfare State. In it he concludes that partial compulsion progressively leads to government control.
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