Ok, I’ve been giving this a lot of thought, and I think I have a pretty good plan to significantly help the economy as well as help solve the healthcare problem. It’s a two for one kind of thing. Here it is, and I want to know what you all think of this.
Step 1: Significantly lower corporate taxes. At 39%, the United States has one of the highest corporate tax rates in the world. That’s absurd. It’s no wonder big companies outsource so many jobs to other countries. I might get really irritated when I call tech support and get someone in India that I can barely understand, but I also understand why it’s done.
Step 2: Get the unions out. Let’s face it, the unions are in control of way too much in this country! Why do you think it was automakers that had to deal with the UAW were the ones getting that bailout money. Companies like Toyota and Honda, who have manufacturing plants here, but are not unionized, did not need the government to bail them out. Those companies don’t have the union restrictions placed on them. And, let’s not beat around the bush here, the unions bring nothing but restrictions and hardships to companies. They might claim to be helpful to workers, they really seek for power for themselves. By placing all those regulations and restrictions on companies, it causes the companies to hire fewer people and do less for the employes they have.
Step 3: Stop having employers provide health coverage fro employees. Yes, this might initially sound harsh, but hear me out. If a company doesn’t have to provide health coverage for employees, it will free up a lot of money for the company to do other things, such as hire more people or pay the employees they have more. This will create more jobs for the currently jobless or underemployed. Also, if employers didn’t have to provide coverage, the deals with the group coverage wouldn’t be in place. If all the insurance purchasing is put back in private hands, prices will drop. If prices are lower, people will buy coverage. Ok, I can hear your argument: “What about all those people with pre-existing conditions?” Great question. I maintain that insurance companies will be able to provide coverage for those they wish to cover (provided the government gets out of the picture – see step 4). If allowed to, insurance companies will be allowed to cover people with exceptional health at super low rates and people with conditions at a higher rate. It’s like car insurance. There are some companies that just have better rates, and it’s up to them to set those. If people don’t want to pay those rates, they can shop around. I think, though, that it should be completely up to the insurance companies.
Step 4: De-regulate the health insurance industry. I’m a firm believer that in the free market, the best products/services will prevail, and that consumers are capable of making decisions for themselves. One of the huge problems with the health insurance industry is that there is too much government interference, directing their operations. If, for example, the insurance companies were allowed to cross state line and be national, that would open up competition more. When there is more competition, the prices are necessarily driven down. I maintain that they would drop substantially.
Ok, there you have it. That’s my plan. It’s all about returning things to the private market and getting the government out of the private sector. What do you all think?
Random Thoughts from Denise 