Medical insurance restrictions are costly
Kudos to the Rocky Mountain News editorial board for explaining how “community rating” regulations on health insurance plans drive up premiums and discourage small companies from offering insurance (“Too quick off the mark,” April 10).
I found similar effects when researching my proposal to the Blue Ribbon Commission on Health Care Reform entitled FAIR: Free-markets, Affordability and Individual Rights. Online at the commission’s Web site, it also shows that other state-level mandates such as guaranteed- issue and benefits mandates also increase premium costs and leave many unable to purchase medical insurance.
As does all legislation that violates our rights to freely associate, such as voluntarily contracting with insurance companies, these prohibitive rules are hazardous to our health.
Brian T. Schwartz, Boulder