KEN STREMSKY DISCUSSES REDUCING HEALTH CARE COSTS

                  Congress may want to pass a law that says that health insurers 
                  do not have to pay a federal tax rate greater than 10 percent 
                  on the first $10,000,000 in profits they make in a year. 
                  Congress may want to pass a law that says that health insurers 
                  do not have to pay a federal tax rate greater than ten percent 
                  on the first $100,000,000 in profits they make in a year. 

                  Congress may want to pass a law that says that hospitals do 
                  not have to pay a federal tax rate greater than 10 percent on 
                  the first $10,000,000 in profits they make in a year. Congress 
                  may want to pass a law that says that hospitals do not have to 
                  pay a tax rate greater than 10 percent on the first 
                  $100,000,000 in profits they make in a year. 

                  Congress may want to pass a law that says that Doctors do not 
                  have to pay a federal tax rate greater than 10 percent on the 
                  first $10,000,000 in profits they make in a year. 

                  Congress may want to pass a law that says that pharmaceutical 
                  manufacturers do not have to pay a federal tax rate greater 
                  than 10 percent on the first $10,000,000 in profits they make 
                  in a year. Congress may want to pass a law that says that 
                  pharmaceutical manufacturers do not have to pay a federal tax 
                  rate greater than 10 percent on the first $100,000,000 in 
                  profits they make in a year. 

                  Congress should simplify the forms, standardize forms 
                  throughout the country, and reduce the number of forms that 
                  Doctors, hospitals, and health insurers have to fill out. 

                  If Congress reduces the tax rates that health insurers, 
                  hospitals, and Doctors pay, they may reduce the prices they 
                  charge for their services. 

                  If Congress reduces the taxes that pharmaceutical companies 
                  pay, they may reduce the prices they charge for prescription 
                  drugs. 

                  If Congress and/or the United States Supreme Court says that 
                  liability awards including pain and suffering awards 
                  may not be greater than an amount Congress and/or the United 
                  States Supreme Court sets, health insurers, hospitals, 
                  pharmaceutical companies, and Doctors may reduce their prices. 

                  Congress should say that the Federal Government and not state 
                  governments decides which services have to be included in 
                  health insurance plans. If the Federal Government instead of 
                  state governments decide which services have to be in health 
                  insurance plans, health insurance will be greatly simplified. 

                  Amendment Ten of the United States Constitution which says 
                  "The powers not delegated to the United States by the 
                  Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States respectively, 
                  are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people" 
                  does not keep Congress from reserving to Congress only the 
                  decision of what has to be included in health insurance plans 
                  because of Article One, Section Seven of the United States 
                  Constitution which gives Congress the power to regulate 
                  commerce. 

                  If Congress decides not to mandate what must be covered by 
                  health insurance plans and does not allow state governments to 
                  mandate what must be covered by health insurance plans and 
                  decides to allow consumers to choose how extensive their 
                  coverage is, health insurance premiums may decrease 
                  significantly and many more companies may decide to sell 
                  health insurance. 

                  If health insurance premiums decrease significantly, many more 
                  people will probably be able to buy health insurance.