Health Care Reform Readings for today (8/14/2009)

Here are links to two articles on health care reform that I read earlier today.  I particular like John Cochrane’s ideas about market-based mechanisms for addressing pre-existing conditions.  Earlier this week, a WSJ editorial entitled “The Truth About Health Insurance” noted, among other things, that “University of Chicago economist John Cochrane also argues that in a more rational individual insurance market, people could insure not merely against medical expenses but also against changes in health status. This kind of insurance would cover the risk of premiums rising as you get older and your health condition changes.”

  • The Great ‘Prevention’ Myth, by Charles Krauthammer
    Charles Krauthammer takes issue with the conventional wisdom that prevention serves the dual purposes of saving lives while saving money.  Like most conventional wisdom, this is wrong; overall, preventive care has been shown to increase medical costs.
  • What to Do About Pre-existing Conditions, by John H. Cochrane
    WSJ: “Most Americans worry about health coverage if they lose their job and get sick. There is a market solution.”

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