mandatory health insurance

[Okie]

I just saw a news report that in Massachussetts they just passed a bill by overwhelmingly large margin to force everyone to buy health insurance. Does this not seem odd in a free country? They said if you dont buy insurance quickly they will raise the cost as a penalty. I beleive they said if you are very poor they will help you pay for it and they also said that most employers will be forced to buy health insurance for the employees.
This just seems wrong.

It seems strange. Are they going to deny health care to someone with health insurance?

[Lon]

Originally Posted by Okie

I just saw a news report that in Massachussetts they just passed a bill by overwhelmingly large margin to force everyone to buy health insurance. Does this not seem odd in a free country? They said if you dont buy insurance quickly they will raise the cost as a penalty. I beleive they said if you are very poor they will help you pay for it and they also said that most employers will be forced to buy health insurance for the employees.
This just seems wrong.

Some states make it mandatory to have auto insurance. What difference do you see between them?

[eyesopen]

I live in the UK we dont have health insurance everyone is intitled to the same level of care paid with our taxes its the one good thing we have going for us! I tend to think it is strange that as you say a free country could make this madatory -suely free means free to choose?

[Bryn Mawr]

Originally Posted by Lon

Some states make it mandatory to have auto insurance. What difference do you see between them?

Driving a car you can hurt other people and *must* be insured against this so that they are adequately compensated.

Not having health insurance hurts only yourself

[Accountable]

It's because of insurance that healthcare costs are so phenominally high. Health insurance negates market forces.

Originally Posted by Accountable

It's because of insurance that healthcare costs are so phenominally high. Health insurance negates market forces.

I think market forces are good for sorting out the provision of some things, things that are not essential like jewellery or cognac, but when it comes to essentials like medical services then market forces need to be constrained by insurance (whether it be socially provided or purchased or a combination). I know you can argue that food as an essential is governed by market forces (I would argue that the big agri companies distort the pure market anyway) but to the best of my knowledge industrially advanced societies don't usually let their citizens starve to death and provide money to purchase food or have charities that provide food.

[Accountable]

Originally Posted by Diuretic

I think market forces are good for sorting out the provision of some things, things that are not essential like jewellery or cognac, but when it comes to essentials like medical services then market forces need to be constrained by insurance (whether it be socially provided or purchased or a combination). I know you can argue that food as an essential is governed by market forces (I would argue that the big agri companies distort the pure market anyway) but to the best of my knowledge industrially advanced societies don't usually let their citizens starve to death and provide money to purchase food or have charities that provide food.

Right. Society, not corporations. Take out insurance to allow market forces to bring prices down to reasonable levels, and then charities can take care of the rest. I can definitely live with that.