Gov. Paterson to Force Health Insurance Out of New York

Once again, Gov. Paterson's short-sightedness and adherence to liberal orthodoxy are putting New York's future in danger. This time, it's risking our health too.

Gov. Paterson announced a plan to force health insurance companies to go to the state for approval when they change health care premiums (http://www.draftrudy.com/news/107). While this may sound good to some, we need to realize exactly what it is and what it will do.

What we're talking about is a direct assault on the free market system. Gov. Paterson, in doing this, is trying to increase state control on the health care industry and over-regulate. Although his stated intention is to keep prices down, which is both necessary and admirable, he's approaching it the wrong way.

The only way to get health care prices under control is to address health care costs at every level. So long as health care costs continue to increase, the costs of health insurance premiums will do so as well. Attempting to address this problem simply by squeezing the margins of health care companies by setting their prices (because price controls have historically worked so well?) will only force insurers out of the state and result in LESS access to care for New Yorkers.

Think about it. If you ran a health insurance company in New York and New York decided to institute price controls, would you keep your company here?

Once again, Gov. Paterson misses the point and puts New York's future in danger!