WSJ Editorial: The Albany-Trenton-Sacramento Disease, How three liberal states got into deep trouble with ‘progressive’ ideas
WSJ:
Have government controls and Medicaid expansions (“the public option”) lowered costs? Here is what the American Health Insurance Plans found. For family coverage annual premiums in 2006-07, the national median cost was roughly $5,300; in California it was $5,884, in New Jersey $10,398, and in New York $12,254. New York’s coverage mandates cause families to pay more than twice what they do in other states for insurance.
As a result, California and New York have more than one-third of their residents uninsured or in Medicaid — much higher than the national average of 25%. More government involvement in health care in California, New Jersey and New York has raised costs and often reduced private coverage. That’s hardly a model for the nation.
* * *
So goes the real-life experience of progressive governance, with heavy tax burdens financing huge welfare states, and state capitals dominated by public-employee unions. Formerly rich states, they are now known for job losses, booming deficits and debt, wage stagnation, out-migration and laughing-stock legislatures. At least Americans have the ability to flee these ill-governed states for places that still welcome wealth creators. The debate in Washington now is whether to spread this antigrowth model across the entire country.
Related Posts:
- AP — Dems sweeten health bill, set showdown Sunday vote
- John Graham – Blue-Sky Thinking on Health Reform: An Interstate Compact for Health Insurance
- An Ugly Preview of ObamaCare – Robert Samuelson
- Obama’s Health Care Will Make It Worse — Robert Samuelson
- Am Enterprise Institute: The Problem with the Biggest Tax Break in America
