Coverage costs need debate

Sat., Jan. 22, 2011

The front-page Jan. 18 article by David Lightman, “Health reform’s impact debated,” needs some strong debate. It’s a pretty weak argument to stop opposing a law because unknown variables might occur to make it desirable, after all.

Let’s put statistics aside for a moment and ask some common-sense questions that could apply to health insurance: If you could buy homeowner insurance while your house is burning down, would insurance become cheaper? Has mandatory auto insurance coverage made car insurance cheaper anywhere? Will adding 30 million Americans to health coverage rolls, with about the same number of health care professionals, make costs cheaper or the quality of services better? Will the unchecked costs of litigation and malpractice insurance inspire more college students to pursue the health care field? Will these unchecked costs inspire current health care practice owners to stay in business? Will the depletion of disposable income of Americans create more jobs?

Let’s have a debate over these questions.

Craig Detmer

Spokane

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