Two days ago I wrote a post about why I think price tags could save American health care. One of the great forces of the U.S. economy is the price-conscious consumer. Collectively we manage to drive down the cost of everything from bar soap to tax preparation. Such is the nature of a competitive marketplace with transparent prices. So why not unleash that dynamic on the health care industry?

As it turns out, I’m not the first person to have this idea. In fact, there is currently a bill sitting in Congress that would do exactly what I’m proposing. On Feb. 25, Representative Steve Kagen—who happens to also be a doctor—introduced the “Transparency in All Health Care Pricing Act of 2010.” The bill is 429 words (that’s right—429 words, not pages) and already has 45 co-sponsors. I know a whole lot more about economics than I do about politics. Could someone out there please tell me how we can get this thing passed?

Here, read how brilliant it is: