I’m frustrated by President Obama’s takeover of General Motors. Not for the obvious reasons, either.
I’ve long argued against state mandates for health insurance. One reason so many people can’t afford basic health insurance policies are these government mandates, which basically say, “If you want to sell anyone health insurance in this state, the policy has to include …,” followed by a laundry list that varies from state to state depending on the relative power of various lobbying groups, but includes such things as pregnancy coverage (even in policies for single men), chiropractic and acupuncture, alcohol rehabilitation programs (even if you’re a teetotaler), and in some states even hair transplants. All these mandates, of course, increase the cost of insurance, leaving more people choosing to go without.
What does the government takeover of GM have to do with this? Well, one of my strongest arguments against health insurance mandates was, ”It’s like passing a law saying that if you want a car you have to buy a Cadillac.” Now they might actually pass such a law.
