Obamacare may be more than a decade old but calls to expand it into a universal system come flying in daily. You may remember when every democrat candidate for President, including President Biden, declared their support for Medicare for All. Ignoring poor quality of care and limited choices, many people continue to push for government-controlled healthcare like we’ve seen fail in Europe. Here in the United States, employer-provided insurance remains the best approach for high-quality coverage.
By and large, the free market tends to provide better and more comprehensive products and services than the government. Health coverage is no exception.
Choice sits at the core of the healthcare debate. Proponents of a more socialized system favor stripping fundamental decision-making from businesses and employees. Meanwhile, those favoring employer- provided coverage recognize that Americans deserve to seek the plans and benefits to suit their needs. Insurance benefits are a key factor in recruiting talent and workers can consider the variety and merits of competing employers’ offers.
Some critics of the employer system say the health-insurance tax exemption makes it too costly and want those tax dollars to go toward funding Obamacare. As former chief economist in the Trump administration, Casey Mulligan pointed out, people who work for their insurance tend to love the value. A National Bureau of Economic Research analysis on revealed-preference showed that employees value employer-sponsored insurance 75% to 84% beyond what they pay for it. A one-size-fits-all market could not replicate that value.
Additionally, employer plans can serve to drive down costs. When individuals join together under a plan the per-person cost of coverage goes down. When employing dozens, hundreds, or thousands of potential customers, employers can negotiate better prices.
Outside of dollars and cents, earning coverage through work translates to tremendous benefits for individuals, like self-respect and independence, and their communities through productivity. The expectation for abled-bodied adults to work has faded from certain parts of the country. Earned benefits represent another incentive for Americans to hold jobs instead of living off government assistance.
As a strong believer in small government and the empowerment of entrepreneurs, I stand committed to blocking abusive bureaucratic overreach and overly burdensome regulations. I am confident in our efforts to return power to individuals because I trust in your ability to accept responsibility and make the right decisions for yourself and your community. Missourians have worked hard to create a thriving economic landscape where businesses and communities intertwine to support growth and prosperity. While our elected officials work hard to attract capital projects and set the framework for effective commerce, businesses and individuals are the drivers of our economic success.
