They say the best things in life – the love of family, for instance – are free, and that’s certainly true.
But many good things do cost money, and government can’t make those costs go away simply by enacting a law.
For example, it is clearly a wonderful thing for people whose hearing is impaired to have hearing aids. That allows them to participate more fully in life. Who would object to that?
But like other medical devices, hearing aids are not free. Someone has to pay the high costs involved in developing them, and the workers who put the devices together obviously expect to earn wages.
A number of lawmakers in Tennessee, however, seem to think that costs can be eliminated by imposing government mandates.
The state Senate recently voted 19-13 for a bill that would force insurance companies in Tennessee to cover the cost of hearing aids for people up to age 18. The companies would have to pay up to $1,000 of the cost of the devices every three years. The House had already passed a similar bill.
Is it a good thing to help people hear better? Of course it is! But even highly desirable benefits have costs.
As some Tennessee lawmakers pointed out, this new mandate will increase the price that everyone pays for insurance and medical care. That’s because insurers will have to pass along the cost of the mandate to their policyholders.
We are by no means saying that insurers should not include hearing aids in their policies. But we do not think that is something the state should force them to do. Nevertheless, if lawmakers are determined to impose such a mandate, they should at a minimum acknowledge that it will increase everyone’s costs.