As I write these words in late summer, Congress is grappling—surely not for the last time—with the issue of healthcare reform and how (or if) it should move forward this year. It’s hard to believe that it’s been seven-plus years since Congress passed President Barack Obama’s original reform bill in March of 2010.

As likely as not, seven years from now, lawmakers will still be debating various aspects of our healthcare system, including what role the federal government should play and how we (individual taxpayers and businesses) should pay for it.

This seemingly permanent state of ...