A real market in consumer-driven health plans and HSAs remains the only effective health reform, but nobody's listening.Breaking a three-day stalemate, the Senate approved an amendment to its health care legislation that would require insurance companies to offer free mammograms and other preventive services to women.This happened directly after the release of evidence showing that many mammograms do not pass a comparative effectiveness test. Once the test became a public issue at all...well, now you see what happens. CBO, take note.
The vote was 61 to 39, with three Republicans joining 56 Democrats and the two independents in favor.
Instead Democrats are on the cusp of passing more mandated coverage and increasing subsidies to the system they've broke (to no small extent with similar mandated coverages or "patients' bill of rights" at the state level). This of course is in addition to the other market distortions like tax credits for employer-based healthcare and spreading the stigma that employers should be responsible for the (grossly inefficient practice) of negotiating for their employees' health plans.
Herein lay Democrats' political power: they keep breaking the market and then promise to save you from its evil.
Addendum: Megan discusses.
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