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Look, I've heard all the crap about how you don't want government to force you to buy insurance.
"This is AMERICA. I DEMAND the right NOT to be able to access good quality health care if I get a stroke! HUZZAH!"
Now let me explain to you why that is a stupid position to have.
Healthcare emergencies are of such a nature that they are (1) unpredictable and (2) EXTREMELY expensive. Unless you're a multi-millionaire, you can't afford the $200-$800K out of pocket that's required for that open heart surgery or cancer treatment.
This is why you have health insurance, with a POOL of policyholders who pay premiums. When you have an emergency, your costs are carried by (1) the premiums and deductibles you've put in, and (2) the premiums and deductibles of all the healthy people in your insurance pool. This is why you need healthy people in the game to cover for the sick - that's the only way the economics work. And most people who are not idiots understand that while they are healthy today, they could be the sick ones tomorrow; ergo, they are willing to pay into this coverage setup so that if they happen to have that medical emergency, they don't have to sell their home.
When you cut out the individual mandate, all you are doing is ensuring that fewer healthy people participate, which ensures that (1) more people are not covered when they have medical emergencies; (2) more people skip preventative care that could have reduced emergencies and instead get the most expensive care possible at ER, and (3) premiums for those with insurance are higher because the pools are composed of sicker people.
So you cannot have quality affordable care accessible by your citizenry if you don't level the playing field and force broad participation. This is also why nations with good healthcare systems invariably have their governments involved. This is also why nations with good healthcare systems don't have idiocies like tying health insurance to your employer, so that if you get downsized you can basically hang yourself if you get sick.
And here's the biggest irony of all: When you do away with the individual mandate and exercise your "freedom" not to have health insurance, what happens when you get a heart attack? You still show up at the ER, get treated, and your cost ends up basically 100% PASSED ON TO OTHERS. You're getting a free ride. How "conservative" a concept is that?
Lack of comprehension about the individual mandate is just one reason why conservatives will invariably fail at healthcare reform, even when they eventually get their act together and pass something. They can spin it however they want, but all GOP will ever do is reduce the number of people with good healthcare access and push up prices for those who are left in the market.
You equate govt not forcing you to buy their insurance, with not being able to access good health care at all?
Liberal alert.
Don't conservatives quite strongly support declaring medical bankruptcy as a prime way to deal with overwhelming medical bills from not being required to buy health insurance? Depending on amount of coverage one may still have to declare medical bankruptcy.
Look, I've heard all the crap about how you don't want government to force you to buy insurance.
You may have a point if we actually had a mandate but we don't since it's unenforceable. We only have a mandate in name hence the reason Obamacare is going into the crapper.
Location: Free State of Florida, Support our police
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One of the problems is you are making the young pay hundreds monthly for insurance that when they get sick is worthless to them anyway. They have to buy plans that have coverage that they will never need in the first place. They should be able to buy a catastrophic plan if they wish. Instead we are making them pay for garbage so the sick and elderly get cheaper insurance.
Look, I've heard all the crap about how you don't want government to force you to buy insurance.
"This is AMERICA. I DEMAND the right NOT to be able to access good quality health care if I get a stroke! HUZZAH!"
Now let me explain to you why that is a stupid position to have.
Healthcare emergencies are of such a nature that they are (1) unpredictable and (2) EXTREMELY expensive. Unless you're a multi-millionaire, you can't afford the $200-$800K out of pocket that's required for that open heart surgery or cancer treatment.
This is why you have health insurance, with a POOL of policyholders who pay premiums. When you have an emergency, your costs are carried by (1) the premiums and deductibles you've put in, and (2) the premiums and deductibles of all the healthy people in your insurance pool. This is why you need healthy people in the game to cover for the sick - that's the only way the economics work. And most people who are not idiots understand that while they are healthy today, they could be the sick ones tomorrow; ergo, they are willing to pay into this coverage setup so that if they happen to have that medical emergency, they don't have to sell their home.
When you cut out the individual mandate, all you are doing is ensuring that fewer healthy people participate, which ensures that (1) more people are not covered when they have medical emergencies; (2) more people skip preventative care that could have reduced emergencies and instead get the most expensive care possible at ER, and (3) premiums for those with insurance are higher because the pools are composed of sicker people.
So you cannot have quality affordable care accessible by your citizenry if you don't level the playing field and force broad participation. This is also why nations with good healthcare systems invariably have their governments involved. This is also why nations with good healthcare systems don't have idiocies like tying health insurance to your employer, so that if you get downsized you can basically hang yourself if you get sick.
And here's the biggest irony of all: When you do away with the individual mandate and exercise your "freedom" not to have health insurance, what happens when you get a heart attack? You still show up at the ER, get treated, and your cost ends up basically 100% PASSED ON TO OTHERS. You're getting a free ride. How "conservative" a concept is that?
Lack of comprehension about the individual mandate is just one reason why conservatives will invariably fail at healthcare reform, even when they eventually get their act together and pass something. They can spin it however they want, but all GOP will ever do is reduce the number of people with good healthcare access and push up prices for those who are left in the market.
What is stupid.... Free people like you, allowing government to place them into bondage... willfully.
One of the problems is you are making the young pay hundreds monthly for insurance that when they get sick is worthless to them anyway. They have to buy plans that have coverage that they will never need in the first place. They should be able to buy a catastrophic plan if they wish. Instead we are making them pay for garbage so the sick and elderly get cheaper insurance.
Yet many young want free college.
Everyone hates subsidies. Except the ones they receive.
Look, I've heard all the crap about how you don't want government to force you to buy insurance.
"This is AMERICA. I DEMAND the right NOT to be able to access good quality health care if I get a stroke! HUZZAH!"
Now let me explain to you why that is a stupid position to have.
Healthcare emergencies are of such a nature that they are (1) unpredictable and (2) EXTREMELY expensive. Unless you're a multi-millionaire, you can't afford the $200-$800K out of pocket that's required for that open heart surgery or cancer treatment.
This is why you have health insurance, with a POOL of policyholders who pay premiums. When you have an emergency, your costs are carried by (1) the premiums and deductibles you've put in, and (2) the premiums and deductibles of all the healthy people in your insurance pool. This is why you need healthy people in the game to cover for the sick - that's the only way the economics work. And most people who are not idiots understand that while they are healthy today, they could be the sick ones tomorrow; ergo, they are willing to pay into this coverage setup so that if they happen to have that medical emergency, they don't have to sell their home.
When you cut out the individual mandate, all you are doing is ensuring that fewer healthy people participate, which ensures that (1) more people are not covered when they have medical emergencies; (2) more people skip preventative care that could have reduced emergencies and instead get the most expensive care possible at ER, and (3) premiums for those with insurance are higher because the pools are composed of sicker people.
So you cannot have quality affordable care accessible by your citizenry if you don't level the playing field and force broad participation. This is also why nations with good healthcare systems invariably have their governments involved. This is also why nations with good healthcare systems don't have idiocies like tying health insurance to your employer, so that if you get downsized you can basically hang yourself if you get sick.
And here's the biggest irony of all: When you do away with the individual mandate and exercise your "freedom" not to have health insurance, what happens when you get a heart attack? You still show up at the ER, get treated, and your cost ends up basically 100% PASSED ON TO OTHERS. You're getting a free ride. How "conservative" a concept is that?
Lack of comprehension about the individual mandate is just one reason why conservatives will invariably fail at healthcare reform, even when they eventually get their act together and pass something. They can spin it however they want, but all GOP will ever do is reduce the number of people with good healthcare access and push up prices for those who are left in the market.
You have a right to be stupid in America.
Don't want or can't afford health insurance?
That's your choice.
And emergency rooms only treat to stabilize....you're not going to get a triple bypass for free by going to the emergency room......and you'll still get billed for the emergency service.
So....what good does it do to force people to buy health insurance with premiums and deductibles so high that they can't afford to actually use it?
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