Regulation drives up health care costs

As a Washington Post article reports, Vice President Joe Biden recently spoke at a meeting of state insurance commissioners contending that tighter regulation of the insurance industry is critical to health reform.  Apparently the Vice President is oblivious to the fact that regulation is actually driving up the cost of health insurance in America.  According to the Council forAffordable Health Insurance, here is a list of 2009 mandated benefits that must be included in every insurance policy sold to every man, woman, and child in the state of PA from pediatrics to geriatrics:

Alcoholism/Substance Abuse

Ambulance/Transportation Services

Ambulatory Cancer Treatment

Autism

Breast Reconstruction

Cervical Cancer/HPV Screening

Chemotherapy

Diabetic Self Management

Diabetic Supplies

Drug Abuse Treatment

Emergency Service

Home Health Care

Mammography

Mastectomy

Mastectomy Minimum Stay

Maternity Minimum Stay

Mental Health Parity

Orthotic and/or Prosthetic

Ovarian Cancer Screening

PKU/Metabolic Disorder

Telemedicine

Well Child Care

Now some of these obviously make sense, but others, depending on your age and sex, are benefits that you are paying for but can't possibly even use.  Consumers should be able to tailor their health insurance policies to their own unique needs.  Allowing consumers to do so would greatly reduce the cost of health care in America.