College Republicans | Bringing choice to health care

The United States was founded on a few simple ideals, central to which was the belief in freedom.

While the fear at the time was the very real threat from the British monarchy, Americans have always been very protective of their individual freedoms as well.

Large government bureaucracies are viewed with skepticism, and the majority of Americans have been less than envious as they watched Europe experiment with centralized social programs. Channeling this sentiment, John McCain proposes health care reform based on the principles of increased choice and control for the individual.

Senator McCain's health care proposal isn't some pie-in-the-sky fabrication that promises everything to everyone in a timelier manner and at a lesser cost. Americans have seen what happens to their wallets when governments embark on missions of grand expansion and unlimited promises.

Instead, the McCain plan focuses on the individual. This plan understands that patients are aided by having more control, not by taking it away.

To offset insurance costs President McCain would offer a direct refundable tax credit, up to $5,000 for families, that ensures Americans will be able to select the health care plan they prefer instead of being hit up to pay for a plan devised in Washington.

The freedom of choice is essential to meeting the diverse needs of different families, and no bureaucrat is better equipped to select a person's health plan than that individual himself.

The McCain plan also proposes to make insurance portable, a common sense solution that frees consumers from health care plans that are tied to their current employers. This allows them to retire early, change jobs or take time off without a change in coverage.

Americans will also benefit from the flexibility of a tax-advantaged Health Savings Account.

These accounts would allow consumers to avoid taxes on income set aside for medical expenses. Unused funds would roll over and accumulate at the end of the year. Tailoring these savings to different preferences is crucial and something that simply cannot be achieved under a government-mandated system. Again, the individual is empowered.

Ultimately, no discussion on health care is complete without addressing the issue of rising costs. One glance at current government entitlement programs shows us that merely handing over more control to bureaucrats will only serve to accelerate spiraling costs.

John McCain's focus on consumer choice and control will force companies to compete for America's health care dollars, and it is this competition that will be most effective in driving down costs.

John McCain is also a strong proponent of tort reform for controlling costs. In the last decade in particular, doctors and hospitals have been burdened by unprecedented increases in insurance premiums due to excessive legal fees of frivolous lawsuits. Some insurers and doctors have been forced to change their services, including no longer performing more complex surgeries.

Others have raised their prices. Every patient needs access to adequate legal remedies, but tort reform is needed to control the costs that a few ambulance-chasing lawyers impose upon all of us.

Though it's easy to make luxurious promises on the campaign trail, the McCain plan is the only one that takes into account the very real monetary constraints facing our nation.

In a time of fiscal crisis and record budget deficits, the United States will have to choose between dramatic tax increases or dangerous levels of foreign borrowing to pay for the plan Barack Obama claims he would have the government enact.

After all, it's a sad irony that just as Europe is introducing market-based solutions to back away from its bloated health care systems, there are some who would have us take a sharp turn toward government control.

But Americans don't want their hospitals run like the DMV, and they don't need a government bureaucrat to stand in the way of access to their doctor.

By increasing freedom of choice and restoring control to the consumer, John McCain will make sure Americans have health care tailored to their individual needs.

Zac Byer is a College junior and president of the College Republicans.

This is the second in a three-part series. Last month, both campaigns discussed education policies. Later this month, hear from both of the student campaigns about why their presidential candidates deserve your vote!

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