Monday, August 07, 2006

The Romney Effect   [John Hood]

The National Governors Association’s annual meeting began Sunday in Charleston, and it appears that the hot talk of the trade is state initiatives to reform health care. Seeing how much good national publicity Gov. Mitt Romney got for a just-enacted plan in Massachusetts — despite the fact that its merits are debatable — the nation’s governors are scrambling to come up with their own versions. Gov. Jennifer Granholm, who faces a tough reelection bid in Michigan, is touting something very close to the Romney plan, while other governors are emphasizing Medicaid changes, wellness plans, and other ideas. Unfortunately, most of the proposals, whether from Democrats or Republicans, would increase government control and taxpayer financing of health care, either modestly or monstrously.

The Romney model, by the way, is the subject of spirited debate among Washington free-marketeers. Analysts at the Heritage Foundation helped draft and promote it, while the Cato Institute has been highly critical.

08/07 09:08 AMShare