Indeed. Without the individual mandate, the majority will opt not to buy the over-priced, high-deductible coverage. The insurers will collapse along with the exchanges. I hope there’s a plan B to save the industry.
We are currently 64. We abandoned health care the day Obamacare became the law of the land (1/1/2014). When the penalty kicked in, we just made sure our TAXABLE income enabled us to take the “unaffordability” exemption so we pay not penalty. We also had to smoke a few cigars so we could say we were “tobacco users” so the bronze plan would be expensive enough. :)
And I hope that this "Plan B" is allowing insurers and purchasers the Freedom to offer, and to purchase, whatever sorts our individual or family needs. No "Plan" needed. No Government needed. Just stay the _____ out of it, and let us insure ourselves without your DC "concern for our well-being"
I hope there’s a plan B to save the industry.
Or maybe the government should do nothing and let the market place work it out. I am a fan of the Invisible Hand but it is a wild ride some time, but not as wild as when the government is involved.
I have always argued that the government’s role in health insurance should be to guarantee that a person, once insured, will always be able to renew insurance without having to take another physical and would get the standard rate offered to all others of his particular age and sex (with possible adjustments for smokers, but not much else).
Couple that guarantee with a one-time grace period where everyone can sign up for a policy without a physical. That is, they would each be able to purchase a policy priced for their age and sex only, no pre-existing conditions to be considered in the pricing. That one-time guarantee would kick in on passage of the law for most of us, and for each individual when they turn 21 thereafter.
And finally, if someone decides not to take insurance during the grace period, they would bear the risk of getting sick and of not being able to get insurance later without paying extra for a rider for a pre-existing condition or, alternatively, having that condition excluded from their coverage. If they, however, get a clean policy after a physical, they can join the group of everyone else guaranteed insurability the rest of their lives so long as they maintain a policy throughout.
Comments?
I have always argued that the government’s role in health insurance should be to guarantee that a person, once insured, will always be able to renew insurance without having to take another physical and would get the standard rate offered to all others of his particular age and sex (with possible adjustments for smokers, but not much else).
Couple that guarantee with a one-time grace period where everyone can sign up for a policy without a physical. That is, they would each be able to purchase a policy priced for their age and sex only, no pre-existing conditions to be considered in the pricing. That one-time guarantee would kick in on passage of the law for most of us, and for each individual when they turn 21 thereafter.
And finally, if someone decides not to take insurance during the grace period, they would bear the risk of getting sick and of not being able to get insurance later without paying extra for a rider for a pre-existing condition or, alternatively, having that condition excluded from their coverage. If they, however, get a clean policy after a physical, they can join the group of everyone else guaranteed insurability the rest of their lives so long as they maintain a policy throughout.
Comments?