Interstate insurance option is part of Pawlenty's health care proposal

There is a nugget in Pawlenty's proposal. The current system creates virtual monopolies for a small number of health insurers within many states. The result is non-competitive pricing or rules that make it difficult to qualify for coverage for higher priced procedures. The current system is difficult to alter because many insurers have abandoned some geographic areas and do not have the infrastructure in place to re-enter those markets and be competitive. Opening up the states would allow for at least regional competition if there are insurers in neighboring states that can leverage their presence across state lines.

Hopefully concepts like this to increase competition will work their way into a health care reform bill. And, hopefully, Pawlenty and others can embrace health care reform that looks to accomplish common goals even if the reform does not do exactly what they want. This herd of reformers needs to get moving in the same direction.