WSJ Survey Backs Mandates

Here's a fun one for you this morning: The Wall Street Journal's Health Care blog is asking readers if they back mandates to achieve universal health insurance coverage; a single-payer, government-run plan; or do nothing. As of this morning, about 300 people have responded with 43 percent backing mandates; 27 percent backing single-payer; and 30 percent backing the free market uber alles.

I found one comment from "John," an industry consultant, particularly insightful about the poverty of a health care debate that focuses solely on how best to cover the uninsured:

What has not been mentioned is the underlying reasons behind health insurance costs and that is the overall health of Americans. I work in the health insurance field and work with many employer groups who are struggling with their insurance costs. The costs of their plans are driven by a small percentage of plan participants. The remaining participants help fund those costs (i.e., the basics of insurance). With that said, I am consistently seeing costs driven by diabetes, hypertension, cholesterol and asthma. There is a need for change in overall health behavior to make accountability a part of the plan. Any of the proposed plans will not result in anything more than pushing monies around. Without real incentives for behavior modification, the health crisis will continue.