Letter to the Editor

Despite the increasing popularity of providing universal health care at the state level, most of the current plans are completely misguided. Modeled largely after the Massachusetts and California plans, these initiatives will do little to tackle the major problem plaguing the American system -- out-of-control costs.

Rather than forcing everyone to buy health insurance, states should make insurance more affordable from the get-go. Removing unnecessary mandates -- like requirements for coverage of acupuncture or chiropractics -- would do wonders to drive down premiums and give individuals the incentive to purchase policies that meet their specific needs.

Proposals like those in Massachusetts and California impose even more regulations on insurance, while demanding excessive fees from employers, doctors and hospitals. This will only drive up expenses.

Preliminary cost estimates for the Massachusetts plan stand at $380 per month -- almost double what its architects predicted. States looking to reform their health care systems should avoid the heavy-handed approaches of Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and former Gov. Mitt Romney.

SALLY C. PIPES, San Francisco, Calif.

President and CEO, Pacific Research Institute