President Bush didn’t offer much that was new or ambitious regarding health care in his State of the Union address last night.

Bush once again called for changing the tax code to encourage individuals to get coverage. (His tax break would replace the one currently available to businesses that provide coverage for their employees.)

While I support plans that would sever the employer-insurance link (health insurance ought to be portable, like every other kind of policy) Bush’s plan wouldn’t do much else to change the status quo.

“Because the majority of the uninsured have low enough incomes that they pay little or no taxes, a tax deduction will not make insurance that much more affordable,” said Julie Rovner, National Public Radio’s health policy correspondent.

“The most optimistic estimate for the plan says it would reduce the number of uninsured Americans by less than 20 percent.”

Bush’s conservatism leads him to oppose any plan that would give more power to the federal government. The way to make insurance more accessible, he believes, is by allowing for more consumer choice and educating people about their options.

“The Congress must also expand health savings accounts, create Association Health Plans for small businesses, promote health information technology,” Bush said.

I support these initiatives, but I don’t think consumer choice and greater access to information will have a transformative effect on our health care system. It will help, sure, but it’s sort of like adding windows to a house that still needs a roof.

That is, we need comprehensive changes to our health care system if it’s to allow greater coverage.