The Problem

A ONE SIZE FITS ALL APPROACH WON'T WORK

Health Care is simply too large and complex to manage at the federal level.  How can we expect Washington bureaucrats to solve a problem that they’ve helped create over the past several decades?

In a recent Wall Street Journal article, Governor Mitch Daniels of Indiana says, “Unless you're in favor of a fully nationalized health-care system, the president's health-care reform law is a massive mistake. It will amplify all the big drivers of overconsumption and excessive pricing.”  Governor Daniels and twenty other governors recently signed a letter to Kathleen Sebelius requesting more flexibility on health care reform.  That’s a step in the right direction and we think the best solution is to return the responsibility and authority for health care to the states, where the problem has a better chance of being solved.

Tennessee State Senator Mae Beavers, a supporter of the Health Care Compact (Tennessee senate bill 326) says, “An interstate health care compact is a powerful vehicle for states to confront the federal health care law mandated by Washington directly.  The federal health care law is one of the biggest oversteps of federal authority in our nation’s history.  It forces states into a ‘one size fits all’ approach to public policy, and is in direct contradiction to state’s rights and the personal liberties guaranteed by our federal Constitution.”

Addressing the need for health care solutions that are tailored to the citizens of a given state, Senator Beavers says, “One size does not fit all.  States have different needs which are not recognized in the federal mandates passed by Congress last year.  The Health Care Compact does not mandate how each state will handle health care within their boundaries.  It leaves them to decide how to create a system that fits their needs, providing greater accountability and more flexibility in delivering citizens a more efficient and effective system.”