Congress Should Allow, Not Impose, Healthcare Solutions

Today in both the House and Senate bipartisan bills were introduced that will allow states and regions the opportunity to come up with proposals to help cover their uninsured populations. The challenge of the uninsured in our nation is one that affects each and every one of us, not just those without insurance. Our proposal is an exciting opportunity to break the congressional logjam that has occurred in healthcare.

I think it’s extremely clear to all who are interested in healthcare that a single solution at the federal level is not likely possible or, for many of us, appropriate. What our bill does is allow much greater flexibility at the state and regional levels for interested people to put in place a novel plan to assist in providing health insurance for the uninsured population. The beauty of this proposal is that it would provide for an array of “solutions” to be brought to Congress from people much more in tune with what’s happening in their areas, and it would be a philosophical array of solutions, so we embrace the concept of federalism and the concept that those closest to a problem are oftentimes those best able to solve it.

An important attribute of the House bill is that it would be budget neutral. The savings would derive from money states save by not having to comply with onerous federal rules and regulations.