I don't know about you, but I don't like being told what to do. So, I am naturally skeptical of health care plans that require everyone to buy health insurance. (Hillary and Barack are going toe to toe on the issue in the Iowa snow.) Along with the laundry and trash and my taxes, I already face a long list of things I must do. Why ask for more?
That's my initial reaction. But then I think about my car. If someone hits me, I know there's a good chance they have insurance because the law requires it. So, I understand that my insurance is lower because almost everyone has coverage.
The same should go for health insurance. The emergency room is an expensive place to get care. Also, people without insurance wait too long to get help. That means 18,000 people without insurance die premature, preventable deaths every year, while at the same time raising my health care costs. So changing that should help my pocket book while also making me feel better. After all, how can you not be upset that 18,000 people a year die because they don't have health insurance? That's not right.
Of course, I've been doing this long enough to know that health care is never easy. By the way, if you want a fairly easy site for background on all this try: http://www.health08.org/ . A lot will depend on how the Democratic and Republican reforms are structured. We have much of the outline, but the detail is lacking. Let's hope the campaign forces more disclosure. I like to know what I am getting into before I make myself, or anyone else, do something.
Comments
The cost savings due to mandatory health insurance requirement are real since the most prohibitively expensive health costs can be significantly lowered be consistent preventative care and early detection of the ailments. Furthermore it is becoming evident that a good portion of the uninsured do survive into the Medicare Zone where it proves to be more expensive for the tax payers to provide health care in an effort to undo the effects of years of little or no health care that it would have been to have taken preventative measures.
The implenentation phase may be costly and unpopular but when the system is in motion we would avoid most ot the pitfalls of the current system.
It is simply: Pay a little now and avoid paying alot more later.
Making Insurance Mandatory would only help those that work for large companies. Insurance rates are based upon population, so someone working for a small company is going to have higher rates then mid sized and large sized businesses. What is needed are insurance rates based upon the population of the state, not the business. An agency can be set up by the state to organize who offers the insurance, but not their prices or what they offer. In this way insurance companies are able to offer the lowest rates possible for their services. Companies do not have to co pay for the insurance if they cannot afford it but employees and their families can be covered for low prices. The free market system that we have currently is maintained, but insurance becomes more affordable for more people.
On illegal immigrants, all that I can say is that they are part of the population that the insurance rates will be based on. Will this solve the insurance issue and the non payment of bills in emergency rooms? I doubt it. But it goes along way to spreading insurance coverage to more people.
The only thing extra that needs to be pointed out is that most politicians refer to insurance as medical insurance. This needs to be done for dental and eye care as well for it to be effective.
Peter,
I think Dennis Kucinich is the only guy talking single payer now. It's amazing how Democrats have moved to what was once a Republican -- Richard Nixon was first! -- solution of market reform, subsidies and individual mandates.
Best,
Darren
What about illegal immigrants? How will they be forced to carry health insurance? In Florida, the significant illegal population results in high hospital no-pays, particularly from emergency room use. Don't see how mandatory insurance would solve this problem.
Mandatory insurance may sound good but it's benefit as a cost driver may be limited,and having insurance doesn't mean your health costs will be covered. The problem isn't that not everyone has insurance; the problem is that insurance companies do not belong in the health care. I just saw your piece on the candidate's health care and you made not one mention of universal, single-payer health care.
Was than an oversight or do you underestimate the will of the people for significant change.