The GOP's common sense approach to healthcare reform.

The dirty little truth is, we didn't need the government to take over one sixth of our economy to improve access to healthcare. We didn't need to be told what policies we could keep and which we couldn't. We didn't need lie compounded upon lie about how our premiums would decline or that we could keep our plan if we liked it. Period. Nope, we didn't need any of that to improve healthcare in America. Even to this day, the President keeps saying that if the GOP has any better ideas, he hasn't heard them. Another lie. He just doesn't want to hear them. When he was running for president in 2008, Mr. Obama admitted he "would probably go ahead with a single-payer (government only)system" if he was "designing a system from scratch." It's no surprise that he professes not to have heard any good ideas from Republicans.  But for those of you who think like the President, here are just a few ideas on how to improve healthcare that don't require a massive government intrusion.

1. Competition. You can buy your car and home insurance from an out-of-state insurance company, why not your healthcare insurance? Currently, that's illegal. But wouldn't it make sense to have competitors from 49 other states? Of course it would. This is basic stuff, people. We're not reinventing the wheel here. Remember, once the government runs healthcare completely, there is NO choice.

2. Teaching Hospitals & Clinics. 40 - 50 years ago, young doctors were given experience by working at hospitals and clinics. These clinics via teaching hospitals, gave free healthcare to those who didn't have insurance or couldn't afford the specific procedures. In return, those young physicians gained experience in treating patients. It was very cost effective. Need cataract surgery? No problem, we'll see you Thursday. But over-regulation has made these facilities non-feasible. Maybe it's time to take a giant step backwards.

3. Low premium/high deductible plans. If you're 23 years old, you don't need a plan with all the bells and whistles. You just require a catastrophic healthcare plan. Low premiums with a higher deductible are uncomplicated and affordable. This should be available to everyone. The government now dictates what plans are good enough for you and which ones aren't. Surprising that the party which touts a woman's "choice", doesn't want to offer you any.

4. Small business group plans. Allow small business groups to merge so that they can have access to plans with reduced premiums. Large pools with more healthy people in them keep costs down. Yeah, some things are just that simple.

5. Tort reform.  ObamaCare doesn't address Tort reform (frivolous lawsuits) at all. Who do you think actually pays for all those lawyers and big settlements? You, through higher and higher premiums. Would have been nice to take a look at this, don't you think? But virtually ALL Senators are lawyers, so...

6. Health Savings Accounts - Maybe you would prefer to keep all that money you might have spent on a healthcare plan. But you would still like to have money put aside for a medical emergency just in case. HSA's offer that. But ObamaCare drastically reduced the tax benefits and availabilities to HSA's. Again, your "choice" has been taken away from you. Nice, huh.

These are just a few common sense approaches to reforming healthcare in America. And we could still have portability and allow children to stay on their parent's policy to age 26 without the massive intrusion that is Obamacare. Those specific items could have been addressed. Instead they were the carrot designed to entice people. (Along with free birth control) Now those same people will feel the stick. Hope you enjoyed that carrot.

The $15.00 an hour question.

On Friday, fast food workers protested in favor of a minimum wage of $15.00/hour. Well, some were fast food workers but many were union organizers ginning up the crowd. Currently, the minimum wage is $7.25/hr. While true, that someone would be hard pressed to keep ones head financially above water with that wage, much less raise a family - very few people actually work for the $7.25 wage. Nationally only 4.7%. (U.S. Dept. of Labor) And the majority of those workers are under the age of 20. The problem with mandating a minimum wage of $15.00 an hour such as the fast food workers are demanding, is that at that rate, profit margins for fast food restaurants drop tremendously. Companies like McDonald for instance, would have two choices. Raise prices or fire workers. Since a large segment of fast food is sold to lower income people, the effect would hurt them the most. Firing workers hurts even more.
Fast food restaurants are a good place for many young people to get their first work experience. But if you plan on making it your career, maybe you shouldn't be blaming McDonalds for your problems. Most people want to move up the ladder of success. But removing access to the first rung on that ladder isn't going to help anyone.
But let's assume the $15.00/hr. rate goes into effect. How does that play to non-commercial food workers? I can hear the howls from a lot of other workers  not employed by fast food restaurants complaining to their bosses that they are worth more than just a few dollars an hour more than the guy who chose to make flipping burgers his career. And they'd be right!
If you are a good employee worth having, your boss will pay more than $7.25/hr. to keep you. That's why 95.3% of workers earn more than the minimum. Quality workers will always be able to bargain for higher compensation.
My first job paid me the then minimum wage of $2.25/hr. Yes, that was some time ago. Of course, gas was about 60 cents a gallon and a Whopper, fries and Coke could be had for under $2.00. Still, I wasn't getting rich on that $2.25 every hour on the hour. After two weeks, my boss came up to me and gave me a 50 cent an hour raise. I didn't even ask for it. I must have been worth keeping around, I suppose. Paying me more than the minimum was a way to keep me from seeking employment elsewhere. That's how the system is suppose to work.
Bottom line - you are worth what someone is willing to pay you. No more, no less. Competition for quality people with skills will drive up wages. However, if you are in a work pool that doesn't compete for quality skilled workers, you are likely to remain at the low end of the wage scale. It really is that simple.