Steve Forbes solves America's problems

Never let it be said that we are one-sided here. Here's Steve Forbes on resolving America's problems. Zero Hedge sums up his position:

Steve Forbes has a quintessentially American policy prescription rooted in American history. The answer to America’s economic problems is—and has always been—new wealth creation. New wealth creation doesn’t come from the government or from the Federal Reserve’s printing press. New wealth creation is what happens naturally with stable money based on the gold standard, lower taxes on individuals, a simplified tax code, reduced bureaucracy and free markets.

The Hera Research Newsletter interview with Forbes is short and there is just chock full of other good stuff, like his flat tax.

Read it at Zero Hedge
Steve Forbes: How To Bring Back America
by Tyler Durden

Here's an argument to ponder:

HRN: How would you go about deregulating health care?

Steve Forbes: ...Patients should have more choice. The insurance companies don’t compete freely for business. We should allow people to shop nationwide for health insurance. I live in New Jersey, which has a lot of senseless regulations. Why can’t I buy a health insurance policy in Pennsylvania that costs less?

Apparently, Mr. Forbes is unaware of how insurance is priced. It's priced on actuarially based on risk and costs, which he seems to realize, and he gets that it the the premium depends on where one lives as a cost determinant.

Typically health care costs are higher in suburban and urban areas then rural areas due to differences in cost of living, so one is charged on the basis of where one lives and is expected to be treated. If Mr. Forbes doesn't move, he won't see his rates change materially, because I would assume that in his neck of the woods living standards, hence costs like hourly wages, physician fees, and hospital fixed costs, are relatively high in comparison to other areas.

This is also true of Medicare supplemental insurance. I get my supplemental through Blue Shield of California. When I moved from rural Northern California (Ukiah) to Boston the rates were different, and when I moved to Iowa City, the rate was still higher than rural California.

And Mr. Forbes, being a billionaire, would really shop for the least expensive health insurance available in the country?

Mr. Forbes is talking his book again while pretending that he has the best interests of everyone at heart.