Avik Roy (right) with Washington Policy Center health care lead, Dr. Roger Stark.
On June 27th the Washington Policy Center held its annual Health Care Conference at SeaTac. The keynote speaker at Lunch was Avik Roy, the Forbes Magazine health care columnist who has written extensively on national health care trends and also devoted a column to health care reform in Washington State.
After two weeks, TVW has finally posted the link for the presentation. “The Conservative Case for Universal Coverage” (presentation starts at the 15:00 minute mark). The PowerPoint is also available on the internet.
Avik characterized traditional conservative opposition to universal coverage as a “mistake.” He then proceeded to dispel a number of incorrect myths about health care at the international, national, and Washington State level.
Shifting to the Affordable Care Act federal reform, Avik took exception to comments earlier in the day by Governor Inslee’s health care advisor, Bob Crittenden, downplaying the coming health insurance premium rate shock and other cost increases. Avik summed it up, “Even if you factor in subsidies most people will be paying more.”
Nonetheless, he believes that repeal of the ACA is “sheer fantasy.” He characterized the ACA state health exchanges are an “attractive mechanism” for both health care and entitlement reform. He then lays out a plan to migrate Medicaid and Medicare into the exchanges, end current subsidies for the wealthy, and create a much better approach to health care.
Avik’s speech can be viewed at: http://www.tvw.org/index.php?option=com_tvwplayer&eventID=2013060042D
Avik’s PowerPoint can be found at: https://www.washingtonpolicy.org/sites/default/files/2013hcsb-roy.pdf
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