Massachusetts health care: A glimpse of things to come – Audio

Jeff Jacoby (podcast below)  has a powerful column in the Globe this morning outlining the failures of universal care in the Commonwealth, and why we can expect more of the same if we let the Federal Government do it on a national scale.

First Jeff points out … whatever you call it … a mandate to buy health insurance is a tax … and no it will not help reduce the cost of health care.

But isn’t the penalty that law imposes on the uninsured – a penalty that this year will run as high as $1,068 per person – a tax? Gosh, no, enthused Romney: “It’s a personal responsibility principle.’’

It might be sellable if the Mass experience has led to lower premiums and lower costs … but it hasn’t.

Far from holding insurance costs down, “reform’’ in Massachusetts seems to have had the opposite effect. “Insurance premiums rose by 7.4 percent in 2007, 8-12 percent in 2008, and are expected to rise 9 percent this year,’’ notes Michael Tanner of the Cato Institute. “By comparison, nationwide insurance costs rose by 6.1 percent in 2007, just 4.7 percent in 2008, and are projected to increase 6.4 percent this year.’’

Jeff drove all of those points home with us this morning.

Read it all … or just listen to today’s interview. Jeff is an amazing guest.