Maryland Governor Martin O'Malley unveiled details of his health care plan this week. At its centerpiece is an expansion of Medcaid eligibility for adults from up to 116% of the federal poverty level.

He also wants to subsidize employer health insurance for small businesses with wages below $50,000. I'm curious about how many businesses this would actually cover since that seems a very low wage ceiling. However, my main problem with this plan is that the Governor is proposing to subsidize the price of a product that is so expensive, in large part, because of government meddling. Maryland over-regulates insurance companies to the extent that only two companies sell over 90% of the policies in the small group market. Instead of using taxpayer money to subsidize health insurance, the Governor would be better off advocating for a relaxation of the government regulations and mandates that drive up insurance. I'm not going to hold my breath for this to happen, though.