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By John Conlin

Here is a simple plan for addressing the national “health-care crisis” which will also put a substantial amount of money in almost every worker’s paycheck.

It is elegant and truly solves the problem, gives employees and the economy a significant boost, and allows people to finally have control over their personal health-care choices. Therefore it has absolutely no chance for success.

Individual health insurance went off the rails during World War II — wage controls were in place and companies discovered another method to compete for employees — company-paid health insurance. This was deductible by the business as normal operating expenses, something not offered to the individual. Company-paid health insurance was never a planned policy; it was a response to a temporary and artificial restriction on wages. And we have lived with this monstrosity ever since.

How to end this downward spiral where for many the only hope is socialism?

Let’s get real — if the “only” solution to any problem is socialism, the cure may prove to be much more harmful than the disease. No, the answer is to end employer-financed health insurance now. Instead, have each and every company pay directly to each employee what they are presently costing the company for health insurance. This will simply be added to each employee’s pay. (Those businesses caught trying to cheat would face extreme penalties.)

For the company it is a wash — total costs remain the same. Any company with a brain will jump on this concept because it finally removes the ever increasing burden of providing health insurance to employees.

It is impossible to meet every employee’s desires regarding their health insurance even in a company with only a couple of employees — people are different and have different needs, desires and objectives. And, as a small business owner, trust me when I say I don’t want to hear any more about my employee’s very personal health issues. Nor do they relish having to share these with me. But they must because I’m in the middle of their health insurance. It is insane.

The vast majority of employees would jump at it, too, since they will see significant increases in their pay — for many, $1,000-plus per month! Our elected officials, in their infinite wisdom, can create a tax deduction for individuals and families at whatever level they deem fair. Having lived in the trenches as an employee myself, most employees will be able to find their own health insurance which will much better meet their specific needs and still put a substantial chunk of change in their pockets. A win-win for everyone.

The health insurance marketplace will quickly provide innovative products which will meet every individual’s needs. The marketplace works for every other product or service; health insurance is no different. For those few individuals who, for whatever reasons, cannot find coverage, the state will cover them as is already the situation in most states.

The reality of the present situation is that many employees are unwittingly paying thousands of dollars each and every year for services they do not desire. Many waste thousands of dollars every year so they can “save” a few tens of dollars on an infrequent doctor visit. If given the choice, most would assuredly state, “Give \me the money.”

John Conlin is a management consultant and small business owner. He is a resident of Littleton.

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Lenka Garborova

Jenna

Mr. Conlin nailed the point about how our present employer-subsidized system arose and that the narcotic addiction of socialism is not a cure for this disease. Our friend Art's drive-by comment about Canada's system being better failed to address in what ways that might be true, and how any single provider of anything has any reason to do the best possible, most cost-effective job. Therefore I hope Mr. Conlin will be good enough to follow this up with an essay about what the U.S. health care system desperately needs instead of another source of funding -- competition. A recent column by Diane Carman in the Post spotlights how it is possible to find better, cleaner health care for ten cents on the dollar in a free market. I suggest that employers give only some portion of their health care dollars to employess directly -- say 75% -- thereby giving them some incentive to shop around. Make the rest go toward a transitional system for those not assisted by employers, to be phased out as the economy adjusts (recovers) from the post-war way of doing things. Add tax-free medical savings accounts to this and we'll not only get a truly better system, but one that puts a dramatically lower burden on individuals, businesses and government.

Not that simple.... yet I like the concept.

1. if you pay a person the amount of their healthcare (that is currently *UN* taxed to the business by the government) - then the extra $$ showing up in a person's paycheck will be *TAXED* by the government! Bad, bad bad - you get *LESS* benefit for the same thing you have now - *LESS* insurance coverage.

2. what about the next new hire coming on board? how would a business be 'forced' to pay the amount of health care coverage that they never paid the person in the first place?

3. Maybe add in a simple *TAX CREDIT* for insurance a person pays - if the government is really interested in solving the 'crisis' then they should allow folks great benefit for the use of their own health care $$.....

A good idea but it does nothing for those working people who are now working at a business which does not provide health insurance in the first place. The state heath isurance program for those who do not qualify for insurance under normal situations is extremely expensive and is not something that most of us can afford. It would have to be subsidized to be made affordable, or at least the cost would need to be reduced somehow. Also Canada has not proven that socialized medicine is a failure. There is better health care in Canada than in the US due to their single payer system. While not perfect by any means it is a much better system than we have in the US.

I am a liberal. I agee with this article. If everyone can't have health care, it should be left up to individuals to manage the best they can.

Mr. Conlin is exactly right. What is unfortunate is that his correctness is not blindingly obvious to most citizens and their elected representatives.

Why is it in a country which became great through the power of free markets for free people that any discussion of how to deal with our health care "crisis" (why is the best medical system in the world called a crisis?) goes directly to a government solution?

Haven't Canada and Britain proven sufficiently that socialized medicine is doomed to fail?

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