Nick Bata: Why I'm Running For Insurance Commissioner

My name is Nick Bata, I am 28 years old, originally from Kensal, North Dakota and I am campaigning for the role of North Dakota Insurance Commissioner. I was born and raised on a farm north of Kensal where I developed an honest and strong work ethic working in the fields.

I played sports and graduated from Mayville State University with a bachelor’s degree in Physical Education and Exercise Science. I taught two years in North Dakota Public Education before relocating to Fargo. I currently work at a prestigious Drywall contracting company.

I became involved with the Libertarian Party in 2014, but I was a libertarian before I became a member. I was first exposed to libertarianism in the fall of 2007. A man named Ron Paul entered into my awareness. I arrived to the scene somewhat too late during the 07-08 election cycle but fortunately for me and millions of Americans, Ron Paul graciously came back out in 2012. This election cycle left a permanent footprint in my life.

I was glued to the television when he was speaking, the things he was saying were so different compared to everyone else. He captivated me with his speeches on the non-aggression principle, the golden-rule, and his integrity. While the others were all giving the same uninspiring political rhetoric that it takes to get elected, Ron Paul was getting 20-something year olds (like me), to read 500 page economic treatises. The Ron Paul Revolution had begun.

[mks_pullquote align=”right” width=”300″ size=”24″ bg_color=”#ffffff” txt_color=”#000000″]Health Insurance is treated unlike all other forms of insurance, it used to cover catastrophic events, but due to intervention has been used as a third-party payment for all health-care costs.[/mks_pullquote]

There is a crisis that is looming, and people are generally weary of it too. The crisis is our worsening healthcare system. A health care system that is centrally planned, ran by bureaucrats and embolden by the States. The history of failing healthcare didn’t start post-Obamacare, rather it was bound to this fate since WW2.

During FDR’s reckless wage/price control legislative tirade, employers who would be jailed for raising wages above a certain level needed to attract more productive workers started to offer health insurance coverage. This trend became commonplace and is the introduction to the common employer offered insurance. This was further bolstered by the tax exemption of Blue Cross Blue Shield employee coverage, so most individuals dropped their coverage and found work that offered it. An unintended consequence of this government intervention was termination of employment resulted in lost coverage, unlike fire, auto or other insurance where this doesn’t occur.

Throughout the century there has been wave after wave of new regulation altering the free market structure of healthcare into a Sovietized public commons. With implementation of artificial aggregate demand legislation such as Medicare, Medicaid, EMTALA (Emergency Medical Treatment and Active Labor Act) have all been stepping stones to the predictable Affordable Care Act and possibly a Single-payer system.

Health Insurance is treated unlike all other forms of insurance, it used to cover catastrophic events, but due to intervention has been used as a third-party payment for all health-care costs.

Also, with consideration of legislation offering to cover more individuals (boosting healthcare demand) will use the law of supply and demand to formulate a price, the consequential price of healthcare will be extremely high. Consequently, after years of masking the government created problems with politically pleasing draconian regulation, the rising cost of healthcare beckons to the call of the Affordable Care Act and Single Payer. It is quite understandable from an empirical note how high the cost is and the remedy of redistributing wealth/costs onto others is the common solution when it comes to government. However, it’s a recipe for a crisis.

Real solutions will not come from Washington, the presidential election is evidence of this overwhelming consensus, people are sick of Washington. North Dakota needs to become responsible for themselves and opt out of the Washington Machine. I believe that government and government regulation drives up costs, lowers quality, reduces competition and misallocates resources.

I believe every job “created” by the government destroys jobs in the private sector. It will take advocates of individual rights, free markets, and honest money to promote a more prosperous and free North Dakota. I believe that this healthcare crisis shows two things and has one conclusion; the North Dakota Insurance Department has failed or it has exacerbated the problem, in either case it is unfit to exist.