Here's to Bush's Health

I was floored today, when I read of legislation that has just made it out of the House Energy and Commerce Committee. Apparently, John Shadegg (R) of Arizona has introduced legislation that would allow consumer to purchase insurance from any one of the 50 states. This, by no means, ensures that the legislation will become law, but it is a step in the right direction. As it currently stands, each state passes its own legislation that regulates the insurance carriers in that state, which leads to a wide array of pricing structures throughout the country. As the Wall Street Journal points out, this is precisely the sort of thing that the Commerce Clause was written to address. These regulations have the same effect as tariffs, making it impossible for companies that do business from one state to do business in another state. Allowing consumers the flexibility of choosing policies from any state they wish will allow them to pick plans that best suit their needs. President Bush has apparently endorsed the Shadegg proposal, which could result in the best health care legislation we have seen in some time.