Insurance and Corporate America

I don't hate corporate America.

Reading progressive blogs, I can't help but notice that a large number of people seem to be supporting Obama's health plan because they hate corporate America. There seems to be an even deeper hatred aimed at insurance companies.

I dislike politics motivated by the desire to punish enemies and reward friends.

I would rather see politics aimed at a discussion about finding the best solution for all people.

If I were motivated by hatred of corporate America and sought to implement health care reform in a way that would do the most harm to my enemy … well, I would favor Medical Savings Accounts. I would be thrilled tickled with the idea of a medical savings and loan.

It is the war chests of insurance companies, more than anything else, that fund the truly big and corrupt aspects of the corporate world.

The MSAs and the MS&L would actually take all of that money and power and redistribute it to the holders of the accounts.

The MSAs and MS&Ls are superior to insurance in that people actually develop equity in their accounts. This equity has two positive effects: The first is that it provides better security for workers (you have equity in an MSA when you leave your job). The second positive effect is that the wealth in the MSAs could help redistribute economic power.

The MSAs would be a remedy to the highly centralized corporate and political structures that have calcified our economy.

While I think making decisions based on hatred is a bad idea, I would like to ask those driven to destraction by Corporate America to parse their hatred and ask: Is is the centralization that you hate? Is it the ownership of private property, or perhaps is the source of the hate a wealth envy sort of thing?

If it is the centralization that drives you to distraction; then I would like to point out that moving in the direction of the MSA does more to decentralize the system than any other option. The various plans put forward by Obama, Romney will have the effect of greater centralization.

Notice how the biggest of the big insurance companies are locked in step with the so-called reform bills.

Conversely, I think one would find evil parts of corporate America would be more resistant to a president who was authentically engaged in making MSAs the standard for health care than they are to the various forms of mandated health care on the table.