Education Reform

Proposal for

Libertarian Education Reform

Our priority is our children’s future, not the teachers unions’ welfare

Goals of the proposal:

1.     Allow all families regardless of income) access to any schools including private, religious or charter.  

2.     Allow schools to choose the best curriculum to make students better educated, better prepared for colleges and more competitive.

3.     Allow schools to encourage good teachers who help students grow and to dismiss the bad ones.

4.     Allow parents to chose their children’s schools.

5.     Increase the role of parents and local authorities in all aspects of K-12 education.

Educational policy:

Educational policy is of critical importance to Americans at all levels of life, but of crucial importance to those at the lower end of the economic ladder. A sound education is the essential element of upward economic and social mobility; and a large part of the American society is being deprived of a sound education and an opportunity to succeed because of an unsound public educational policy.

The well-to-do can escape the system either by sending their children to private school or by buying homes in areas in which public education is, if not great, still not a total failure. The poor have no choice. They're stuck in much the same way that American veterans are stuck with the incompetent and corrupt Veterans Administration, to cite the most recent example of government at its worst.

Our proposal will resonate with the people suffering most from the current educational morass. Our libertarian approach allows us to come up with solutions which are practical and offer a real chance of improvement in the foreseeable future. We attempted to avoid unrealistic solutions like the abolition of public education which have no chance of enactment.   

What follows are suggestions for educational improvement which can be implemented without sea changes in American governance. We will use California in an example but we believe the recommendations are equally valid throughout the country.

Details of the plan:

1.     A major increase in the use of school vouchers.  Teachers unions hate vouchers and anything that teachers’ unions hate, governments at every level attempt to stifle. When rational people heard about the disgraceful conditions at the VA and the incredible wait times veterans faced, the first thing that they cried out for was vouchers entitling veterans access to private medical services at government expense on the ground that it was immoral to deprive veterans of medical care.

It is no less immoral to deprive children of an education without which most will lose their best chance in life. If they can't get a desired education in a public school, give them the money (voucher) to attend the school of their choice and reduce the amount public schools receive by an equivalent amount. A goal should be established that a certain percentage of students should be entitled to vouchers each year with the number growing annually until a long term target would be reached.

The move to vouchers should to be instituted gradually - though not slowly – so public schools would have time to adjust to the resulting revenue reduction. A mass exodus from government schools would be the wakeup call needed for teachers and school administrators to begin to make changes for the better. Competition is the real key to success.

Beholden to teachers’ unions, governments will not happily pursue a large scale voucher system. Therefore, an attempt should be made in California (and in other states with a similar ballot proposal system exists) to utilize the California voter initiative system to enable widespread voucher usage.          

2.     A major increase in charter schools. Charter schools are relatively free from two of the greatest enemies of an effective public school system – both governmental regulations and union influence. Contrary to opponents’ propaganda, thought imperfect, they are a significant improvement. 

In addition to regular charter schools, California has created magnet schools. They are an improved version of the charter schools, requiring competitive entrance examination, and are like the British Grammar School which for many years (until the Labor Party destroyed them) were the finest public secondary schools in the world.

As in the case of vouchers, the unions hate Charter Schools and the Democratic Party has done much to impede their progress.  Their educational success (instead of adding to their appeal) has had the opposite effect.  The number of charter schools should be systematically increased to a very substantial predetermined percentage of total school enrollments.

Because of the expected political opposition, an attempt should be made to enact a new law mandating an increase in charter schools using a voter initiative system where available. 

Interestingly the cost of charter schools is substantially less than the regular public school. For example in 2011, the average per student charter school cost was $8,000 compared to $13,000 for the “government run/union controlled” public school.

3.     All K-12 school tenure must be ended.  Tenure and all forms of artificial job protection and security should be eliminated. Tenure at public schools was not created to protect freedom of thought as was done at the university level. It was simply a means of job protection: it damages educational quality. If a teacher or administrator is not doing a good job, they should be fired. Teachers consider tenure to be a sacred right, with the unions’ influence making it almost impossible to get either political party to fight for its elimination.

As with vouchers and charter schools, we recommend direct voter involvement through the initiative process. It may not be easy but is an available pathway.

           

4.     Ease regulations and licensing of new Private and Charter schools.  Frequently the interests on the teachers conflict with the best interests of students. Teachers have undue power due to the large sums of money which they donate to the Democratic Party which in turn pays them back in a variety of destructive ways. At least in California, there is no hope that the Democratic Party will ever vote against these unions’ interests, even if that means harm to our children. The GOP lacks the courage to fight this battle, resulting in our children losing chances in life.

A license process for opening of new Private and Charter schools shall be simplified. It is in our kids’ interests, and we must remember that education is what will help our children to succeed in life. 

5.     Public school budgets should be calculated based on the amount of students each school attracted. Public schools should not be allowed to spend more than the total amount received for their number of  students (plus any donations they can receive from private parties).

6.     A school can create their own curriculum, purchase it from elsewhere or sell their own curriculum to other schools. Since schools will be competing for students, one of the points will be quality.

7.     Any parent should have a right to bring their child’s vouchers to a public, charter or private school.

8.     School boards in all types of schools shall be given a right to fire teachers or administrators, and reduce or raise their salaries based on their performances.

9.     All federal government involvement in public education should be ended and the Departments of Education (both State and Federal) should be closed, or at a transitional period their roles shall be changed to advisory and information providers. At the next stage those roles will be played by private companies in free market competition.  

Despite huge spending (approximately $70 billion annually) public education has shown no improvement and arguably has deteriorated because of the increased Federal role and teachers’ union control. There is literally no hope that the federal role will be reduced or that teachers- union’s grip on education will be eased by either of the two ruling parties let alone eliminated. Regardless, no Libertarian proposal on education would be complete without advocating the elimination of federal & state governments and teachers’ union meddling.                                                                                                                                                

Principle architects of the proposal:

Don Ochacher, attorney-at-law, lifetime libertarian, and

Leon Weinstein, author & lecturer, Chair Media Committee, Libertarian Party of California                                               

The following members of the Libertarian Party advised, provided critique, suggestions or worked on this proposal:

Mark Hinkle, Retired Chair, Libertarian Party (National)

Jeffrey Hewitt, Vice Mayor, Calimesa, CA

Dr. Lee Welter

Olivier Schreiber

Please direct your inquiries to

Leon Weinstein

Leon.weinstein@gmail.com

            

Immigration Reform

Proposal for

Immigration Reform

A pathway for future American prosperity

“Immigrants should adapt to America;

America should not adapt to immigrants.”

Don Ochacher, Esc.

PROPOSAL

Immigration is arguably the most controversial and divisive issue in America, no less so within the libertarian community. Many libertarian ideologues believe that the right to travel is a natural right. In effect they do not recognize national borders and believe that all people should have the right to go to any country they wish with the caveat that this type of freedom of movement is inconsistent with the maintenance of a welfare state.

Since there's no chance that the American welfare state will be dismantled in the foreseeable future, the result of this intellectual exercise is an inability to create any serious proposal for the reform of American immigration policy.

Many of us who want to solve the crisis, not simply talk about it, believe that the current immigration system is damaging America and its citizens both economically and culturally and that the system must be reformed.  We believe that our proposal provides a pathway for future American prosperity while at the same time providing a fair and equitable means of dealing with America's vast illegal immigrant population.  

We acknowledge that in certain respects this proposal can be criticized as inconsistent with theoretical libertarian principles but we are realists and we sincerely believe that it is a constructive and realistic alternative to our current economically destructive immigration system and that this proposal would be acceptable to a majority of Americans.

AM AMERICAN IMMIGRATION POLICY FOR THE XXI CENTURY

                    

INTRODUCTION -   From its inception until 1965, America pursued an immigration policy designed to benefit the country and its citizens. America needed workers and immigrants came to work, many with the intention to return to their native countries but most to become Americans. If an immigrant could not support himself, he went home since the welfare system did not exist. Those who remained learned English and their children spoke English as their first language.  

The Immigration and Nationality Act of 1965 and subsequent legislation dramatically increased legal immigration and, more significantly, changed the ethnic make-up of the United States by increasing non-European immigration at the expense of European immigration and by increasing legal immigration under family reunification. This has resulted in vast numbers of immigrants who do not speak English, have no or little education, no technical skills and have little prospect of ever paying taxes in excess of the amounts which they will receive from our welfare system.

The replacement of the melting pot paradigm by an obsession with divisive multiculturalism has exacerbated the problem.  Not only do a vast percentage of immigrants fail to learn English but successive generations of immigrants still lack English competency making it extremely unlikely for them to advance in our society.

America desperately needs a new immigration system, one that will emphasize the potential contribution which immigrants can make to our country. Our economy demands increasing levels of skills and our immigration system should be designed to attract immigrants who possess those skills and are least likely to make demands on our welfare system.  

America also needs a solution to its illegal immigrant problem and we believe we have come up with a fair and reasonable solution under which illegal immigrants can become full and active participants in our economy without a so-called "pathway to citizenship.

THE PROGRAM

1. IMMIGRATION LEVELS - Legal immigration shall not exceed half million people annually. 

Of this amount:

·        400,000 shall be reserved for skill based immigrants. (Category A) 

·        100,000 shall be reserved for family reunification. (Category B) 

The above number shall be supplemented by (a) a guest worker program which shall be limited to the agricultural industry and certain designated industries permitted to have guest workers, and (b) a new investors program.

There are several relatively small current special programs that will be continued as is or modified in the future based on the same parameters as the rest of this proposal.

Since our proposal contemplates legalization of current illegal immigrants (see details below in the New Immigration System section) estimated to exceed 10 million in number, an adequate supply of unskilled workers already exists in this country that will be eligible to join the legal work force and thus there is no need for additional unskilled immigrants.

Immigrants under the skill based category and the “new investor” category shall be permitted to bring their wives and minor children who would be counted towards category totals. 

All immigrants other than minor children and family reunification immigrants must be competent in English prior to entry into the United States.

2.  IMMIGRATION CATEGORIES

Category A: The highest priority shall be immigrants who have obtained within the previous 10 years college or graduate degrees (residential not on-line) with a major or concentration in subjects such as physics, math, computer science, engineering or medicine from American universities or colleges which have been in existence for at least 10 years. These immigrants have lived here, speak English and possess skills which this country needs and which can be put to constructive use. 

Degrees such as communications, sociology, liberal arts and liberal science, or history including history of music, history of social and political movements and so on shall not be eligible. There are many Americans competing for a limited number of jobs in those areas and it would be counterproductive to encourage immigration of specialists in those overcrowded professions.

Two decades ago, the norm was for foreign-born students at American universities to stay permanently in the United States after they graduated. Stay rates for PH.Ds were over 90%. It was easy to get a visa.  These graduates provided the United States with a great technical advantage and helped fuel the technology boom. From 1995-2005 over 50% of Silicon Valley start-ups had a foreign born founder.  At present, a very small percentage of foreign born students expect to make America their permanent home, principally because they are unable to obtain visas to remain in the United States to work and start-up business. This situation must be corrected. 

The second priority in this category would be immigrants who have obtained college or graduate degrees within the previous 10 years (residential not on-line)  from foreign  colleges or universities  which have been in existence for at least 10 years with the same majors or concentrations required of graduates of American colleges or universities..

The last priority in this category shall include individuals who do not have college degrees but whose skills are necessary or useful to the ever changing American economy (for example oil production workers or welders) and who are believed to have a reasonable opportunity of success in this country. Standards shall be determined by a panel of experts. 

 Category B is reserved for family reunification. This program as currently exists will be abolished and replaced with a modified program limited to children under the age of 18. In addition, the petitioning resident must have an earned income (not counting government benefits) which is in our opinion should be at least 150% of the federal poverty level for the anticipated family size. 

Family reunification is perhaps the most economically insane immigration program ever pursued by the American government. Not only do we permit and, in fact, encourage immigrants with no skills to come to this country but once here, they can bring a vast number of similarly unskilled family members to America, including parents who can receive vast amounts of government welfare and other benefits without having paid a dime of taxes and without any prospect of ever doing so. Family reunification at present accounts for approximately two-thirds of our annual immigration and is, to put it in simple terms, economically unsound.

While it may benefit the legal resident, it does not benefit the country. Our immigration policy should not be primarily concerned with what benefits foreigners who want to immigrate to this country, but with how the program benefits the country and a majority of its citizens.  

This may sound callous, but if a new immigrant wants to reunify his or her family, it is a simple matter to do so: return to his or her country of origin.

Guest Workers Program: Annual legal immigration shall be supplemented by a guest worker program not to exceed the current guest worker level which shall be limited to the agricultural industry and certain designated industries currently permitted to have guest workers. Guest workers shall be required to have medical insurance coverage prior to entering the United States, the specifics of which are to be determined, which shall remain in force for as long as the worker remains in the country. Preferably such insurance coverage shall be provided by the employer.  

New Investors program: Foreigners in a number to be determined who agree to make substantial, employment generating investments in the United States will be eligible to obtain indefinite temporary residence permits. The size of the investments and the number of new jobs which must be created would be determined by a panel of experts, but shall not be less than $1 million and which will result in the creation of a new business employing 25 or more people or the expansion of an existing business employing not less than 100 additional people. 

Current special programs: the current visa programs under which special visas are granted to foreign outstanding artists, scientists and sportsman and the current amnesty and refuge programs having to do with refugees and displaced persons worldwide who live in dangerous situations shall remain in effect unchanged.

3. NEW IMMIGRATION SYSTEM - The current so-called “Green Card“system shall be replaced by a two tier system. Tier One shall be a temporary residence permit which shall permit a new immigrant (all categories) to work and obtain a driver's licenses but will not be eligible for governmental benefits for which current Green Card holders are eligible. Since they will not be classified as permanent residents, it is believed that this can be legally done. They will not receive social security cards but instead will receive a special temporary residence ID number which they will use to file income tax returns and for personal identification purposes. 

After a certain number of years (five years is suggested), they would be eligible to apply for Tier Two, the permanent residence status, which would be the equivalent of the current Green Card. To obtain this status, the immigrant would have to prove that he or she (or a spouse) has been gainfully employed for a minimum time (to be determined), has paid taxes and has not received an Earned Income Tax Credit at any time. Obviously standards of good character must also be met. Any person who does not meet the new Green Card criteria will be subject to deportation.

At such time as a Tier One legal resident is granted permanent residency, he or she shall be issued a social security number and his or her social security account shall receive retroactive credits for all employment from the date of original legal entry into the United States. 

4.  CURRENT ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT PROBLEM(s) -   Illegal immigrants who meet the standards of good character would be eligible for a five year temporary residence permit which could be renewed for successive five year period provided he or she has been gainfully employed for not less than 30 of the previous 60 months and has continued to meet standards of good character. However, they would not be eligible for permanent residency under any circumstances. If an illegal immigrant applies for temporary resident status and is rejected, the immigrant and all members of the family (if they are also illegal immigrants) would be deported. 

Illegal immigrants who fail to come forward to request a temporary residence permit within a reasonable time will be subject to deportation.

A sovereign nation must be able to control its borders. Our Southern border (and our Northern border should it ever become necessary) must be protected from illegal immigration and we must take all steps to accomplish this. Whatever the cost may be it is dwarfed by the economic and social cost to this country of massive illegal immigration and it is ridiculous to claim that America is incapable of protecting its own border.  

We must do whatever needs to be done. Finish the fence, have armed border patrols at the border and employ drones where necessary. Have every illegal immigrant regardless of age turned back or immediately brought back across the border. Obtain Mexico’s active cooperation and help. If Mexico refuses to cooperate, there are a number of things which we can do to encourage their cooperation which will not damage the American economy such as prohibiting all money transfers from America to Mexico. If Israel can control its border, so can we. 

A large portion of illegal immigration results from overstaying visas. This situation would be alleviated by both passing and enforcing severe monetary penalties for overstaying visas and in extreme cases providing for jail sentences. 

Employers should face severe penalties for employing illegal immigrants which would be enforced. We already have a system in place that requires all employers to check legal status and we have an e-verify program which has not been effectively employed. Enforce the law that the current Administration refuses to enforce and in a very short time employers will comply.

Libertarians frequently argue that employers should not be required to enforce immigration laws. That is a spurious argument. Employers are routinely required to enforce a variety of employment related laws including withholding and social security requirements. To require proof of legal work status and to notify federal authorities is, if anything, less burdensome.

A special category of illegal immigrants should be established who should be immediately taken into custody and either imprisoned and/or deported. These would include any individual who has committed a misdemeanor or felony of any type and any member of a gang, especially members of the notorious Salvadoran M-13 gang.

Principle architects:

Don Ochacher, attorney-at-law, lifetime libertarian, and

Leon Weinstein, author, Chair Media Committee, Libertarian Party of California.

 

The following members of the Libertarian Party advised, provided critique, suggestions or worked on this proposal:

Dr. Lee Welter

Don Cicchetti

Gail K Lightfoot

Jose Ivan Vargas, Esq.

Please direct your inquiries to

Leon Weinstein

Leon.weinstein@gmail.com

Healthcare Reform

Proposal for

Libertarian Healthcare Reform

Affordable, High Quality Medical Care – Get More for Less

Benefits 

Medical services will be available when patients need them 24 hours a day, 7 days a weeks. Patients won't have to wait until Monday or pay extra for night or weekend emergency visits, or wait weeks or even months for an appointment.

Health care visits and online consultations will be longer and more efficient, giving both practitioners and consumers adequate time to fully discuss, diagnose, and treat their health conditions.

Most medical records will be digitized; there will be fewer medical errors.

Health care consumers will be able to better manage and control their health care problems.

Red tape, bureaucracies, and the resentment that comes with government subsidies for health care will be replaced by humane, loving, and dignified charities, along with one-on-one care.

Consumers will have a choice between more expensive or less expensive treatments.

The problem with overcrowded emergency rooms where people without coverage are forced to go for treatment will be at least partially resolved.

Anyone would be able to go to an inexpensive Primary Care Centers, use telemedicine and buy inexpensive drugs.

Millions of people not covered by insurance, including undocumented immigrants will be able to get primary care. If they have enough money to buy food, pay for an apartment and gas, they will have enough money to pay for their medical care once it will be available and affordable. 

Libertarian Healthcare Reform will not overburden the country’s budget and it will cost less to the consumers.

Addressing major problems:

For those who pay for medical care by themselves: currently we pay large premiums, co-pays, out of pocket expenses and deductibles. We can’t pay less than your monthly premiums. We can’t see a doctor without paying co-pay. The Libertarian Healthcare Reform offers you to save money every month by paying UP TO the same fixed amount as you must pay now.

Instead of paying a large fixed amount PLUS deductibles, out of pocket expenses and co-pays, you will pay small monthly premiums for catastrophic insurance and for insurance against loss of coverage. You yourself will have the power to choose providers and pay for medical services until you reach a certain limit. This is when your insurance coverage kicks in.

You get to shop around and make your own decisions based on the price and quality that you want, instead of paying the price and getting the services mandated by an impersonal, government bureaucracy. The Libertarian Solution will provide higher-quality and less expensive health care than what you have now.

For those who need help from society: today some of you are getting food stamps, others on a program that offers you assistance in housing, others getting help with education, and still others on a variety of programs that provide medical coverage. Society spends billions of dollars on people whose job is to provide you with the portion of assistance you are getting, and the services are often of poor quality. Instead of wasteful government programs, the Libertarian Healthcare Reform will provide you with one-stop assistance, and a choice of what to do with the money you will be receiving. Those who need assistance will get CASH from the taxpayers and they will be able to spend it the way they see fit.

If they decide to rent a bigger apartment, they can do it. If they want to buy more food, or get themselves better medical care, they can do it.

For the neediest, taxpayers will cover or subsidize catastrophic and loss of coverage insurance, plus provide cash payment.

Those unable to help themselves will get help until they can get back on their feet again.

For those who have pre-existing conditions: Under the laws proposed by the Libertarian Party there would be no such thing as losing insurance when you lose your employment or for any other reason. Part of your medical insurance premiums will go toward insuring you against loss of coverage. In other words, there will be NO problem with people who were insured, lost their coverage and as a result couldn’t find a carrier to insure them.

Once insurers are permitted to sell insurance at mutually acceptable prices and competition in the insurance market is not restrained (the same way all other products and services are sold), insurers will accept you but will demand higher premiums if you are at high risk of needing more health care than the average person. If you are sick and in need of more services than a client without pre-existing conditions, the insurer can still make a fair profit due to higher premiums.  So why would they drop you? If you can’t afford the higher premiums, society will pick up the difference between the regular payment you would pay if you would have no pre-existing condition and the payment that insurers will ask from you because of your pre-existing condition. 

The above offer is a win-win-win situation for everyone. It is better for those who can afford to pay for medical care by themselves, it is better for those who need public assistance, and it is better for the society as a whole. It will improve quality of life and available health care services for everyone. 

How it works:

1.     Problem: Medical care is expensive. On top of high monthly premiums, there are co-pays and out of pocket expenses that are becoming very hard to afford even for the middle class.

LPC solution: Repeal federal and state laws that regulate what kind of insurance the carriers can or can’t offer to consumers. Allow them to offer any product they want in any state they want and at any price they want (like it is done in all other industries and markets) including catastrophic insurance with high deductibles. With the lower premiums of such insurance, consumers will be able to use money they are now paying as premiums, for direct payments to medical care providers instead. They will be able to negotiate prices for services by themselves and save. Prices for medical care will drop rapidly, in some cases up to 80%.  Don’t believe that?  Check out comparisons between prices hospitals and physicians charge insurance carriers and what the very same providers charge medical tourists.

2.     Problem: Medical drugs are expensive, especially prescription drugs. Some drugs from smaller companies and abroad are not available because they don’t have FDA approval.

LPC solution: Change the FDA to an advisory body, funded by user fees charged to pharmaceutical companies. End prohibition on imports or foreign made drugs and on the sale of drugs not approved by the FDA. The FDA limits our choices and keeps drug prices artificially high. Allow import and sale of any medical drug exactly as it is done with food and food supplements. Respect the natural human and constitutional right to control our own bodies and be free from unreasonable seizures of property.  As a result, the price of medication, both approved and not approved by the FDA will go down significantly, and consumer choices will greatly expand.

3.     Problem: Loss of coverage happens due to loss of job or job change. This is unlike most other types of insurance, for example auto insurance that pays for damages and medical expenses due to accidents whether or not the policyholder continues to pay to the carrier after the accident happened. Medical insurance companies refuse to pay for treatment of the illnesses that were developed during the time policyholders paid their dues if policyholders stop paying their dues or change jobs in the middle of treatment.

 LPC solution: Introduce insurance against loss of medical coverage. Money paid for this kind of coverage, a form of secondary insurance, would create pressure for primary insurers to continue offering coverage or face subrogation claims.  Premiums would be low, because availability of insurance would not be tied to employment, and insurers would be free to adjust premiums over their user base as needed to cover the cost of claims, without being restricted by political barriers.

4.     Problem: Insurance companies refuse to insure people with pre-existing conditions and find all kinds of excuses to drop coverage.

LPC solution: Repeal or reform California and federal laws that favor or incentivize  employer-based coverage over individual/family coverage or non-employer based groups, and enable competition for health insurance from health care cooperatives/pools  and mutual insurance funds. As greater numbers of consumers shop for health insurance on an individual or family basis and insurers compete for business from individuals instead of employers, insurers will lose incentives for refusing or dropping coverage due to pre-existing conditions, for several reasons. For example, insurers that fail to treat their customers fairly will lose their reputations and business.  Lifelong insurance for catastrophic conditions will be much more common, as prices drop and individuals realize that nobody can be forced to care for them.  Non-profit mutual insurance and cooperatives will increase and more people will join such pools from birth and retain long-term membership. While transitioning to the new system,  people who experience coverage gaps due to pre-existing conditions now and those who can’t afford medical insurance, insurance against loss of coverage and cash assistance will be offered as outlined above and below (Item 10).

5.     Problem: There is a shortage of some medical care facilities and services, because people who would otherwise provide these facilities or services are prevented from doing so by laws passed to benefit special interest groups. For example, competent business people are excluded from organizing the majority of medical services to the consumers. They are not even allowed to form partnerships with medical professionals. This government-enforced monopoly is narrowing consumers’ choices and driving prices up.

LPC solution: Drop any and all regulations that limit participation of honest service providers in the health care marketplace, regardless of licensure or certification. Creative business people will bring competition and solutions to the medical care market, and with it, reduction of prices and increase in quality of services, as it has done in every other industry in the US.  Maintain legal protections against fraud and medical malpractice.

6.     Problem: Long wait times exist for appointments and procedures. Medical care in physicians’ offices and hospitals is very expensive.

LPC solution:  Allow opening of a network of Primary Care Centers staffed with nurse practitioners, doctors and other medical care professionals.  Allow health care providers to offer advice via Internet-based communication technologies. Such centers managed by business people will provide less expensive medical care, will be open 24/7 and will immediately shorten waiting in doctors’ offices, and encourage innovation and competition in health care, instead of stifling it by more regulation.

7.     Problem: Employers pay for insurance with pre-tax dollars, while individuals are forced to pay with after-tax dollars.

LPC solution:  Allow income tax – exempt Medical Savings Accounts (MSAs) to any and all insured, unless and until the income tax is itself repealed. Allow deduction from taxes any and all expenses made for health care treatment, prevention or improvement, including gym memberships, chiropractors, masseurs, vitamins, food supplements, weight loss programs, and similar products and services known to help preserve good health. 

8.     Problem: Each and every hospital and provider creates and maintains a medical history for each of their patients. On top of obvious mistakes and errors, it takes a huge amount of time and effort by the health care providers and raises the cost of medical care.

LPC solution:  Allow patients to compile and maintain their own medical history that they maintain control of and share with providers at will, using secure data technology supplied by private enterprise. Protect medical privacy by reasonably laws against private and government snooping.

9.     Problem: Government regulations forcing insurance carriers, hospitals and other providers create limitless and often unnecessary paperwork that take huge amounts of time, a need to hire additional personnel which adversely affects costs of medical care.

LPC solution: Ease regulatory compliance for medical care providers and hospitals. Consumer choices and liability for actual fraud and malpractice can regulate health care far more effectively than even the most conscientious and well-informed bureaucrats.  And most bureaucrats are not that well-informed or conscientious.

10.                        Problem: There are people in our society who are unable to pay for medical care.

LPC solution: All assistance to the needy can and will be in the future paid for by private donations. However until a credible help network is established and the voting public understands that welfare can be entirely replaced by voluntary assistance of various kinds, taxpayers may be required to provide a basic safety net. Lawful citizens and residents who are in need of public assistance may thereby be provided with (a) catastrophic medical care insurance, and (b) combined cash assistance in lieu of all current health care assistance programs, housing assistance, food stamp and other assistance programs where taxpayers’ money subsidizes or pays for the products or services to the needy shall be converted to a one “cash assistance” program.  To help pay for basic social services without raising taxes or borrowing, non-essential government services and funding for foreign military adventures should be cut.

Who will benefit the most?

Single mothers will be able to discuss their own or their children’s problems with medical professionals without leaving their own living rooms. They will not need to spend time in doctors’ offices or hospitals in order to receive simple prescriptions.

People in rural areas will have an immediate access to any specialist. Drugs can be delivered to them by mail or special delivery after short conversation by Skype or similar electronic services. 

Inner city families will have access to their neighborhood Primary Care Centers. The visits will cost less and an expert can be immediately consulted online, unlike the current need to go first to a family doctor, then to schedule appointment with a specialist.  

Poor families will have not only catastrophic insurance but also a monthly sum of money they can allocate toward their needs as they choose. One month that may be medical expenses, another more on food, still another on books or entertainment. They will have an opportunity to shop for less expensive options.  In turn, due to consumer choice, medical care providers will compete for business, creating a free market where those who offer superior value to the consumer can succeed. 

People with pre-existing conditions will have a variety of options to choose from, and will be covered at first by taxpayers and eventually by donations. Going forward, those with pre-existing conditions will no longer face problems with finding insurance.

Everyone will benefit from opening Medical Savings Accounts that will allow putting aside non-taxable funds for future medical needs, until income taxes can be phased out of existence.

Everyone will benefit when business people who are prohibited today from forming medical corporations, hiring doctors and offering medical services able to enter the field of medical care and re-vitalize the market, pushing prices down and quality of services up.

Everyone will benefit when inexpensive drugs enter the market, allowing consumers more choices and pushing prices of FDA-approved drugs down.

Everyone will benefit by the opportunity to use tax-exempt funds for health care.

Contact info:

Leon Weinstein

leonweinstein@hotmail.com

      

The following members of the Libertarian Party advised, provided critique, suggestions or worked on this proposal:

Robert Page
David Kozlowski

Lee Welter

Beau Cain

Carla Howell, Political Director, National Libertarian Party

Jonathan Jaech, Southern Vice Chair, LPC

Kevin Duewell

Antoine Hage 

Brian Thiemer

Jim Hoerricks