US Election 2004

Richard Ralston, Executive Directory of Americans for Free Choice in Medicine, has analysis of the Democratic Party’s platform proposals related to health care in the Washington Times.  He begins:

Americans who care about their health care need to pay close attention in an election year to politicians of all parties who seem bent on becoming much more involved in the details of what health care will be allowed and at what cost.

Neither the Democratic nor Republican platforms make for very edifying reading on this subject. [R. Ralston, Health Care Fantasies, Washington Times, 7/29/2004; Hat tip to Jack Crawford of WBAOC]

One point of disagreement with his commentary, permitting the importation of prescription drugs is not necessarily a redeeming proposal.  While this proposal is valid under the principal of free trade, it can not ignore the violation of intellectual property rights committed by those other countries.  Therefore to be redeeming the proposal must be tied to retaining prohibitions against importation from countries that maintain price controls and those that black mail patent holders with violation of their rights if they do not sell at discounted prices.

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