Deconstructing Pipes (Mitt Romney's Real Health Care Record)

Town Hall ^ | 15 November 2007 | Sally Canfield

[Spiff]

Deconstructing Pipes
(Mitt Romney's Real Health Care Record)

Sally Canfield
15 November 2007
TownHall.com

Since the Clinton Administration's ill-fated attempt to introduce government-run health care to the United States, mountains of paper have been produced analyzing our nation's health care system. And while Republicans and Democrats have spent countless hours debating themselves, the one group that has been left out of this debate is the American people.

With 47 million Americans without some kind of health coverage, and millions more worried they will lose what coverage they have, one Governor knew the time for talking was over. What Governor Romney proved is that you can apply conservative principles to ensure that all people have access to affordable health insurance. Instead of theories, Governor Mitt Romney got results.

Since the passage of the Massachusetts plan, Sally Pipes has found refuge in the commentary pages, where she has consistently twisted every statistic to fit her "Sky Is Falling" mentality. What she fails to recognize is this key fact: the Massachusetts health care plan is working.

In a bit of irony, the same article where rival campaigns attack the Massachusetts health care plan also notes that "the law appears to be working." More people are signing up for private insurance plans. As of November 1st, more than 200,000 formerly uninsured state residents have signed up for coverage. Families who once worried what would happen if a loved one fell ill, now have the peace of mind that comes with having a health plan of their own. No other candidate, in either party, can point to this kind of record.

It should be a shock to no one who believes in deregulation and individual choice that premiums are falling as competition is introduced into the health care market. As a result, today, in Massachusetts, residents can obtain comprehensive, quality health care insurance for as little as $175 a month.

In bringing free-market forces to Massachusetts, Governor Romney has won the praise of conservative organizations. One of the primary supporters of the Massachusetts plan was the Heritage Foundation. They have said, "Those who want to create a consumer-based health system and deregulate health insurance should view Romney's plan as one of the most promising strategies out there." The Club for Growth stated that "Governor Romney deserves credit for proposing a plan that encourages individually-owned health insurance…"

One of the groundbreaking ideas in the Massachusetts plan is something called the "Connector." While some have tried to mischaracterize its purpose, what the Connector really accomplishes is that it provides a mechanism for people to purchase their health care plan with pre-tax dollars. Why is this important? When purchased through the Connector, that same $175 health care plan mentioned above now costs about $110 per month. While $65 may not mean a lot to people in Washington or New York, for a family working to make ends meet, $65 can help pay for groceries or gas for their car. As the Club for Growth stated, the Connector "does dramatically facilitate individually-owned health insurance plans by enabling individuals to purchase health insurance with pre-tax dollars and choose from a number of competing private plans."

Sally Pipes also questions the spending requirements of the Massachusetts plan. The response is simple – there are no new taxes required. As part of the Massachusetts plan, Governor Romney redirected nearly $1 billion that was already being spent to reimburse hospitals for providing free care to instead help individuals purchase their own insurance. According to the Club for Growth, these subsidies "encourage individual ownership of private health insurance" that "may lower overall costs." By redirecting existing funds, Governor Romney crafted a plan making private health insurance more accessible without more government spending.

For too long, Republicans have shied away from this debate. We've chosen to speak in broad platitudes and theories about how health care should work. We have ceded this issue to the Democrats because if anything, what the Clinton Administration proved was that the topic was too hard to solve, too complex to talk about, and any solution was too expensive.

Governor Romney rejected those tired excuses. Instead of talking, he chose to lead. Of all the presidential candidates, Republican or Democrat, Governor Romney is the only candidate with a record of achievement in this area. He is proud of his record and the work that was done here in Massachusetts.

Health care reform is easy to talk about. It would have been the path of least resistance and one that has been well worn for too long by people in both parties. Governor Romney could have chosen that path. He didn't. He chose to lead. He chose to be a bold reformer. And I can think of over 200,000 reasons – and counting – why that was a good choice.

Sally Canfield is Policy Director of the Romney for President campaign.

[Rick_Michael]

“The country didn’t want it. Gov workers got theirs. Private workers got theirs and didn’t want them touched. The poor got the state, as always. And working class/small business have no one, so political, they’re zero.

I think that about covers it.”

Gov workers: To some point I’m sure it’s neligible...depending how fast costs rise.

Workers: Not necessarily.
Majority of Americans Want Health Insurance Choice: Poll
http://usgovinfo.about.com/od/medicarehealthinsurance/a/healthchioce.htm

“72% of those polled (1,001 likely voters) supported allowing someone living in one state to purchase health insurance from another state, if the insurance is state-regulated and approved. (15% were opposed and 13% were not sure.)”

These workers benefit most from interstate commerce, as does any consumer when you expand trade bands.

The poor: Actually according to the above poll...

“80% of single adults and people with annual household incomes between $15,000 and $24,999 support this option.”

“Interestingly, Republicans and higher-income workers are more likely to be opposed.”

Small business: Not sure what you’re saying there, but small business seems have significant clout with the Bush admin on illegal immigration. They’re suffering the most...especially in terms of competiting with big business benefits.

They’re organization have the most to gain if Bush-like medical plans could go through.

---

Congress just wasn’t focused on that part of the economy. And frankly I think state insures want to perpetuate this as long as they can...since profits are much easier in state restricted markets. Especially when there’s all these mandates.

So I’d say it’s financial, plus the dems want to move it over to universal...so they can destroy the military budget.

[x]

Sally Pipes is a health care advisor to Rudy Giuliani.

She's no relation to Daniel Pipes. But she is married to Charles R. Kesler, who also writes about politics.

[Leisler]

You would of thought the Justice Dept, under the commerce clause would of ripped down state insurance barriers. But, what would be next, physicians licenses and ....lawyers? God forbid professional service guilds feel competitive heat.

[tantiboh]

~”What planet are you on? They could do anything they wanted, and did. Where do you think the spending came from? From the House?

Oppose the President? Bush didn’t say boo. He never even vetoed a bill until this year. There was nothing to oppose.”~

I was talking about the House. A Republican congress cannot oppose a Republican President under normal circumstances - the President is the leader in that situation, not the Speaker of the House. It’s generally too politicall unpalatable otherwise - you fracture the party and give your opposition running room.

The House is filled with (R)’s who were frustrated that the President kept asking them to violate their conservative principles, particularly in the fiscal arena. It was only when huge issues, such as immigration, came up that they were able to muster the political capital to oppose him. Otherwise, they pretty much had to toe the line. It’s the nature of the system.

That is how it works here on Earth, you see. You might want to visit some time.

[Goreknowshowtocheat]

I am being forced now to pick up the tab for the freeloaders. Not that I will be forced, not that I will sometime in future will be forced I am being forced now and tax is buried in my premiums. It is socialism signed by Reagan and enforced by the courts. And the IMPEACHMENTS ARE NOT HAPPENING. Government can mitigate the damage in the hopes of preventing “witchcare”
but doing nothing will bring the witch. Romneycare is a mitigation of lasting damage. It cannot be solved completely until the IMPEACHMENTS come. You must spread the risk otherwise Hillary wins.