Reasonable optimization stategies suggest that the place to look for optimization are in the largest components of cost, not the smallest. I believe we're going to need to look at serious economies in all of the major cost components to achieve the objectives that are really before us.

You should be able to buy your insurance from any willing provider...

But if there are no willing providers what then?

why did you waste your time on the Armenian genocide resolution that means nothing to 99.9% of the voters and not try to ask about something important?

That the average voter doesn't understand an issue doesn't render it unimportant. I'm interested in his view of how to balance expressions of morality with maintaining effective diplomatic relations with key allies. I was heartened to see that he thought the latter more important in light of the genocide being long over.

1) Make employer provided health care taxable, but then provide the tax credit as he discussed. Further, the employee would have an annual option to take the money to buy his own insurance or use the corporate insurance option. This would move the health insurance out of the 'free' category and back to a market good. It would also make it possible to have portable insurance that follows the worker, rather than having to go into a new insurance plan with a new job (or being stuck in a job because you can't change insurance).

2) I like the idea of lawsuit coverage based on following clinical guidelines. But I would propose that there be "good, better, best" guidelines with different costs. Let patients choose which they want weighing the costs, risks and benefits. Insurance companies could also offer coverage for "good, better, best" with patients able to 'upgrade' out of their own pocket.

3) Give hospitals at least the same tools as the 'dead beat dads' laws for going after people who use emergency room services without paying. Those who make the financial choice of going without insurance (as opposed to those who have the choice made for them by circumstances) shouldn't be given a free ride.

4)This would probably turn the thing into a hot political hot potato, but put the HSA's, IRA's, 401K and social security payments into the same pot. People can then manage their accounts themselves balancing immediate medical needs against future retirement. I suspect there can be an interesting angle for insurance provided as part of the account management.

5) Require care givers to provide uninsured (or paying out of their own HSA) the same rates as their best rate given to insurance companies. Right now, doctors tend to have a high standard rate, then write off a large part when charging the insurance company. There may be some nifty tax reason for this, but doesn't make sense for a cash paying uninsured patient.

I'm by no means an expert, but the "consensus" Republican position that seems to highlight that people are going to the doctor unnecessarily still seems to elude me. I'm sure that there is some of that in the system, but I still see preventative measures as more cost efficient than encouraging to go to the doctor less. And with Republican plans (HSA's), it seems that the incentives will be to not go to the doctor for preventative measures. I'm not sold on anyone's plan just yet, but at least in the Republican field Huckabee seems to be the only one addressing that issue.