The Idea Blog

Shawn Tully gives a good comparison of McCain’s and the Democrats’ healthcare plans in the current (March 17, 2008) issue of Fortune. (Note: this article is not yet available on the website, but it will be in a few days). Tully says the McCain plan is superior, especially if it can work out the problems that come without a community rating system (the thing that insures young people help pay the freight for older Americans because the latter group would have premiums too high to be affordable).

Either party’s plan would be a necessary improvement. “Everyone understands that something has to change, and fast.”

“But on economic merits, McCain wins. For all its problems, at least it puts the consumer in charge. Would that create a world where we’re forced to dicker with heart surgeons? No. It will create a world where health care is treated as the precious resource that it is, rather than a costless entitlement; where nationwide competition pushes down the price of catastrophic care and consumers focus their attention and budgets on what’s really crucial to their health. That’s an important first step. The price of health care is never going to get under control until patients get what they deserve: the right to be customers too.”