Does the Principle of Forcing American's To Buy Health Insurance Bother You?

[malamute]

Originally Posted by old_cold

Unless the day comes that uninsured Charlie is left mangled and bleeding on the roadside with only a phone call to his parents to come pick him up or uninsured Sarah is refused admittance to the ER with her 104 degree child or unless the resultant bills can't be wiped out in bankrupsty court, there's little choice to the financial welfare of the rest of us.

Yes, when the uninsured decide they do need health care, they're the first ones to show up to an Emergency Room demanding nothing but the finest health care be given them.

The rest of us pay dearly for our insurance and for our children. We opt not to have cell phones, go to every concert, and wear last year's clothes so we can make the monthly premiums and pay the deductibles. Now the uninsured demand they be given something so it's time for them to figure out how they too will pay for it.

I'm glad Obama is thinking of personal responsibility and paying for the things you want/need.

[Donna7]

Originally Posted by AeroGuyDC

- Forget about the current healthcare proposals floating around Congress.

- Forget about why Congress feels an "individual mandate" is necessary in order to make healthcare reform work.

- Forget about the cost of having insurance vs. not having insurance.

Dig deeper than that and ask yourself: Do I really like the principle of my government FORCING me to buy health insurance?

At what point did this nation convert from a country that promotes individual liberty to a country that mandates conformance with government policy by virtue of merely being a citizen, even if you disagree with that policy?

No, it honestly does not bother me. I don't feel that I'm being forced to buy healthcare. Does it bother you that we're forced to pay for the war in Iraq, the millions of dollars in overcharges by Halliburton and their ilk, the corporate bail-out? Those do bother me.

I agree, no one wants to pay for anything extra, but I figure that you don't get something for nothing and having a government option as far as healthcare is concerned is worth the price to have peace of mind that a person or family will not enter bankruptcy or lose a loved one due to the current healthcare system in America.

As a self-employed person, I have to purchase my health insurance through private insurance companies, and honestly, not only is the coverage grossly overpriced, but the coverage is minimal. The caveat is that there is no guarantee of acceptance. I don't know what else to tell you. Right now, I feel that I am "forced" to accept the cr*ppy options that private insurance companies offer and I want them to feel what it's like for the consumer to have some bargaining power. It is very liberating to know that you don't have to accept the scraps that the private insurance companies have been offering people and companies for years.

On the other hand, I still don't see one benefit that the war in Iraq has offered to the American taxpayers.

[workingclasshero]

Originally Posted by Donna7

No, it honestly does not bother me. I don't feel that I'm being forced to buy healthcare. Does it bother you that we're forced to pay for the war in Iraq, the millions of dollars in overcharges by Halliburton and their ilk, the corporate bail-out? Those do bother me.

I agree, no one wants to pay for anything extra, but I figure that you don't get something for nothing and having a government option as far as healthcare is concerned is worth the price to have peace of mind that a person or family will not enter bankruptcy or lose a loved one due to the current healthcare system in America.

As a self-employed person, I have to purchase my health insurance through private insurance companies, and honestly, not only are they grossly overpriced, but the coverage is minimal. The caveat is that there is no guarantee of acceptance. I don't know what else to tell you. Right now, I feel that I am "forced" to accept the cr*ppy options that private insurance companies offer and I want them to feel what it's like for the consumer to have some bargaining power. It is very liberating to know that you don't have to accept the scraps that the private insurance companies have been offering people and companies for years.

On the other hand, I still don't see one benefit that the war in Iraq has offered to the American taxpayers.

so if the bill passes, then you will BE FORCED to buy either the 'crappy' private insurance, or buy an equally 'crappy' government insurance....and dont say it will not be 'crappy', a government option is just that an option to buy the 'government' insurance,,and they are not going to give you anything more than the 'private' companies

I would rather get rid of health insurance all together, and go back to hosiptalization. and the small docotrs visits you pay for yourself

I spend more each year on insurance than, I have doctors actual bills for 20 years.

[EinsteinsGhost]

Originally Posted by AeroGuyDC

I knew the car insurance argument would come up. The government forces us to do lots of things, usually because inaction impacts others, such as a car accident maiming passengers. There should be liability coverage there, no doubt.

Or, not having health insurance, and having others pay for their ER visits. Or, carrying infectious diseases that they could transmit to others instead of getting treatment...

But, there are reasons to the proposed mandate of health insurance. And those reasons can't be discussed in a bipolar method. An understanding of underlying needs is required.

1- ER should not be treated as a clinic. A study concluded that we waste nearly $210 billion every year for that reason. Extrapolating that over ten years:$2.1 trillion. That, by itself, is more than twice of the proposed health care reform. When they don't pay, everybody else does.

2- Pre-existing condition is a huge issue with current health care access. People are denied coverage for little to no to very vague reasons, when they are perceived to be expensive to cover. This needs to change. And that is one of the ideas in the reform. Now, people will abuse this gesture of ensuring coverage for anybody who wants a decent access to health care. Without a mandate, they won't buy insurance, until right around the time when they need something major. That is neither fair to others who cover themselves nor to insurance providers who must respect and enroll people regardless of pre-existing conditions or not.

3- Now, I will add that I don't like mandate in the sense that you must have it, even if you could pay for your medical expenses by yourself. If someone chooses to not buy insurance (you will probably fit that bill, unless you're in medicare or a similar government run program already or an employer sponsored plan), they should be held accountable and not protected against pre-existing condition clause, retroactive to the time they last had insurance. In other words, if they opted out, ended up getting sick and needing insurance then, let them deal with the consequences of their personal decision.

[texdav]

I don't likie the idea of force but there alos needs to be changes in debt collection. Make medical debt with no insurance not part of bankrupsy like student loans. Alolow garnishment of wages and tax retruns until paid off. that way others will not pay for the choice not to be covered.Individaulk that wants to refuse is totally responible for debt.