Well first thanks for your answer!
Well i do agree that some kind of “forced national health care” is against the so called “american dream”. I do agree that this really oposses everything the constitution stands for. But then again it´s really not all bad (has it flaws of course) . I mean come one it´s portrayed in the US like this would be the end of the world. It´s not! “We” have this here for example. (and “we” are not a bunch of commies ;-) but “forced” national helath care does not nessersary mean that there is no way to avoid it (I do agree the only way to avoid health care at all here would be to become a “homeless” but i guess this is not an option which people here on FR want to have :-)
But then again does this mean that your are forced to have it? NO! I live in “europe” and i have a private insurance (and i´m really happy with it). I would never “use” the so called socialized medizine. (Why should i?) No one forces me.
I´m forced to have an insurance company “that´s true (and open for discussion) But at the and i love “special” treatment and private clinics. And really NO ONE forces me to give this up. So for example i´m private insured and i´m living in a country with so called socialized health care.
(And i have never seen anything other than a “private “ hospital”
where i can chose my doctor and everything else).
So who says that “socilazized health care” means that everyone is forced to use it or has to pay for it?
Because this is not true!
greetings,
You have identified a crucial question: Is participation in the system voluntary or coerced?
Unfortunately, it is difficult to know how much freedom Obamacare will allow. The law itself is 2400 pages long; who can say what booby-traps are hidden there? Moreover, many issues were left to be decided by the 30 (or is it 100? 150?) new agencies to be created by the law.
My guess is that private fee-for-service health care will be severely limited, but not outlawed entirely. Already, many doctors are refusing to take Medicare or private medical insurance; that trend will likely continue. Hence, patients who are willing and able to pay cash will find physicians who are willing to work outside the government system. “Concierge” or “boutique” practices will probably increase. No doubt medical tourism will boom.
However, there are some worrisome signs. At least one state legislature has considered a law requiring doctors to accept Medicare. It is a short step from that to banning private cash-only medicine entirely.
Even if no one is forced to use Obamacare, everyone will be forced to pay for it. Income tax rates will go up next year; a VAT is being discussed. Some have floated the idea of confiscating individual retirement accounts. No matter how much money is squeezed out of the taxpayers, it will never be enough.
The bottom line: Obamacare will be a disaster unless we can stop it.