Nov. 1, 2008
PART ONE: Gearhart Favors Markets Working Naturally, More Transparency with Health Costs
By Tony Rutherford
Huntingtonnews.net Reporter
Huntington, WV (HNN) – Obama/Biden have endorsed a theme of “change” throughout the Presidential campaign. Republican Candidate for House of Representatives, Marty Gearhart, calls for change too --- he would like to replace District 3 Democratic incumbent, Nick Rahall who has held the position for more than 30 years.
Gearhart’s viewpoints differ drastically from Rahall’s positions. He favors deregulation , no earmarks, lower taxes, and having the strongest fighting force necessary to protect the United States. The GOP candidate has expressed that Rahall follows the Democratic Party line.
Interestingly, Gearhart would have voted in favor of the original non-Pork Barrel enticed bailout bill that failed to pass Congress. The one that gained approval required inclusion of various projects to in his words “buy a vote” of a Representative or Senator. Along similar principles, he objects to naming buildings and infrastructure after a sitting office holder. Calling them a reelection tool, his first bill, if elected, would prohibit honoring a public servant until about seven years after they have left office.
HNN: You favor a market based health insurance system in the US. Can you explain how this would work?
GEARHART: What I would like to see would be insurance companies pay patients as opposed to the doctors. [Now,] they’re paying for something they’re not sure what they are getting… the market will provide a product at the best price. When you bring prices down, you bring the cost of insurance down. I think most of the problems with medical care can be solved by making it a market commodity, as opposed to some type of eclectic service.
At a Wednesday morning discussion [my opponent] Mr. Rahall stated the market does not always work as evidence by banking difficulties. The problem with banking circles is that the market was not allowed to work. Congress required the market to do things that it would not normally do, make loans to people they would not normally make them to. When the government gets into the market you get negative consequences.
My counter would be if Congress to get out of health care, the price would go down…
HNN: How would the patient/consumer “rate sheet” apply in emergency situations? The family or patient may be so sick, they will agree to anything.
GEARHART: There are circumstances where [care] would not be provided on that [a la carte] basis. But, when you’re in the hospital bed, they bring an Aspirin for $10, I think that’s a problem… You should be able to purchase your own product. If you don’t know what it costs, you are simply going get what they give you and you’re going to have to accept what is provided.
I frequently ask people , for example, if they are wearing the cheapest pair of shoes they can buy. I’m not. I’m not wearing the most expensive pair [either]. I could buy a pair at Big Lots cheaper than what I have on, I choose to wear these because they are comfortable and fit my heel.
You need to be able to evaluate services, as you do not tend to buy the first thing off the shelf.
HNN: But what about emergency or semi-emergency care…
GEARHART: Emergency care is a different animal, I think you would have to have some procedures where the costs of what you are paying for are provided somewhere down the line. Everything you buy , you receive a list of what you pay for. But, if you stay in a hospital for a couple of days, you’ll get bills for months. I think the problem is the price of the service delivered as opposed to the service itself.
I think health care is something we pay for. It’s not like liberty or happiness. You work hard and you receive better health care. [We’re] certainly able to take care of those who cannot take care of themselves, but I don’t know if we want to be in a position to take care of those who won’t take care of themselves.
It is incumbent that we all pay to care for those in need who come to the emergency room , but day to day care can be negotiated between the provider and the patient.
[For example,] I bought a product from a company and I told the gentleman you will find it a lot more difficult to get the next order. That’s the same way it should work with your physician. If you’re not getting cooperation, it’s time to find another one.
HNN: You discussed your position earlier on the bailout bill
GEARHART: I think the reasoning is wrong. The first bailout bill I would have voted for. The bill eventually approved, I would not have voted in favor. The first bailout bill was needed to keep the economy from going completely stagnant. From my background in a small manufacturing business and a small retailer, I understand what happens to business when credit is not there. When that happens across the map, there’s immediate stagnation. I would have voted for it to keep the economy flowing. The second bill, frankly, it took an additional five days to push through an emergency bill and then 20% added to it in pork barrel spending to buy votes, it took it out of the emergency circumstance.
Congress caused the problem. Congress had to enact an emergency bill to solve the problem they caused [through passage of housing bills] …
HNN: I read that repealing a law in place since after the Depression that prevented commercial banks from being investment banks contributed to the melt down.
GEARHART: I don’t know that deregulation is the problem, the loans are the problem. Bundling is not the problem. Most bankers tend to be conservative and recognize required equity in a loan and the principles behind it. Those people have been put in a position to make loans under normal underwriting circumstances would not be made. The conservative bankers got those out of their portfolio as fast as they possibly could. I don’t believe that banks owning investment companies or investment companies owning banks is the problem. Every time you get normally responsible businessmen not to do what’s responsible, you get a negative consequence.
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