It seems that at least one state is moving away from the "more insurance mandate" mania that is prevalent in so many others:

Delivering on Gov. Charlie Crist's top election-year priority, the Florida Legislature on Friday approved a health insurance package to extend no-frills coverage to the state's 3.8 million uninsured.

Health insurance companies will offer policies for $150 a month or more, in exchange for an exemption from the 50-plus mandates in current law that require insurers to cover items ranging from bone marrow transplants to acupuncture.

The plans — which aren't the "Cadillac of coverage," as Crist concedes — would cover some health screenings, doctor visits and office surgeries, but not medical attention that requires a specialist or prolonged hospital stays.

It's good to see this small step towards more freedom in the insurance market. It would have been better had the state reduced its mandates on all insurance, but this bill is certainly better than what existed before. With many states considering even more interference in the market in a vain attempt to "fix" health care, Florida is blazing a path in the other direction.