ONE PROBLEM, ONE BILL: “I understand the temptation to draft one bill to solve all the problems in the [healthcare] system.... So I have a simple solution: “One Problem, One Bill.”

Dr. Peter Weiss proposes to address the healthcare “crisis” one problem at a time. Here is a synopsis of his problems/his solutions:

Problem: cost of insurance.
Solution: allow insurance policies to be sold across state lines to increase competitiveness and drive down costs.

Problem: mandated coverage, forcing insurance companies to cover everything from chiropractors to acupuncturists to massage therapists.
Solution: reduce the number of mandates and provide consumer choice.

Problem: pre-existing condition denial.
Solution: allow groups such as AAA, CostCo, and even church or community groups to pool their money and purchase [group] health insurance plans for their members.

Problem: drug costs.
Solution: federally subsidized research; drug importation.

Problem: Malpractice lawsuits.
Solution: eliminate contingency cases in malpractice suits.

While I don’t agree with all the good doctor’s prescriptions, I do agree with the approach: one problem, one solution. As an engineer, I can say with complete assurance that in system design, you never, ever, ever start with a clean sheet of paper unless you’re planning for a catastrophe.

Which is what the Democrats did.