EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Click here for full report. (Word Document Format)

In 1994, the American people rejected the Clinton health care plan and others like it that would have substituted the judgment of politicians and bureaucrats for that of patients and their doctors. Yet, that victory has proved short-lived. Today, lawmakers who fought government-run health care three years ago, some of whom even rode into office on the issue, are now its biggest supporters.

In 1996, Congress and President Clinton enacted legislation that requires health insurance companies to provide -- and requires consumers to buy -- certain health benefits. These mandated benefits were hailed as a "consensus" approach to health care reform. Today, a number of additional health benefit mandates are being proposed. This paper discusses how mandated benefits do more harm than good.