This president is determined to walk back Obamacare, which would fulfill one of many campaign promises. Every step he takes in that direction is a win for the American people and freedom. The administration took another step this week.
President Trump, or at least his people, issued a final rule Wednesday that allows folks to buy health insurance without all the bells and whistles--and expensive add-ons--that Obama-care required. Americans can now buy what's called "limited-duration" insurance, which is cheaper insurance that doesn't cover as much, or for as long a time.
Which is what some people want. Remember Obamacare's "10 Essential Health Benefits" that led to folks paying for all kinds of things they didn't want? Such as birth control for an unmarried 60-year-old man?
Dental insurance is a great thing to have when you need it. Diabetic supplies are a must for many people. Maternity coverage may be in your future. And all those things are good, but what if a body doesn't want them? This is, or should be, a free country.
Sometimes young healthy people want just the essentials, and not the essentials as determined by a government bureaucrat trying to make the numbers work. Sometimes a person looking for insurance just wants the minimum. So why not let him buy it?
The limited duration insurance could help millions of people who do not want or need comprehensive insurance and all the benefits (and monthly payments) that come with it.
Yes, the insurance is less expensive because the benefits are fewer. But why should an older gentleman more concerned with his grandchildren have to pay for maternity leave coverage? He'll not be having a baby anytime soon.
"For many who've got pre-existing conditions or who have other health worries, the Obamacare plans might be right for them," said the secretary of Health and Human Services. "We're just providing more options."
Now, according to the papers, the new insurance polices will be subject to state rules. And, as you might expect, the states of New York, New Jersey and Massachusetts are already taking aim. Arkansas regulators, however, might do better to follow the president's lead and allow these smaller plans. Let the consumer decide. That's often the best policy.
The whole debate boils down to this question: Does the government know best, or should We the People have the freedom to choose based on our own health, income and experience?
That should be just a rhetorical question. Unfortunately, in past administrations, it hasn't been.
Editorial on 08/03/2018