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“Viewpoints” | An Economist’s Perspective on Health Care Reform

By: Mark Zandi

To be successful, healthcare reform must pay for extending coverage to the uninsured while credibly controlling future costs. Current proposals include a mandate for employers, a public insurance option, and tax increases on high-income households. A better fiscal option would involve scaling back the tax break on employer-provided health insurance plans. Without policy changes, health care costs will drain government coffers and drive public debt to unsustainable levels. Done right, health care reform will be a boon to the U.S. economy. Done wrong, it will be an economic albatross. The right ...