Tuesday, October 31, 2006

I-Care And Minimum Wage

The Kentucky legislature passed a health insurance subsidy this year and so, sign-ups start tomorrow in the I-CARE program. This bad idea is similar to raising the minimum wage in that it takes a more expensive path than is necessary to reach the desired end. Repealing Certificate of Need regulations would lower health insurance costs for all rather than using the subsidy to lower premiums for a few. In the same way, raising Earned Income Tax Credits would give money to poor families while the minimum wage mainly just increases the costs of employing teenagers.