Mass. Pols OK Mandatory Health Insurance

AP ^ | 4/4/6 | STEVE LeBLANC

[SmithL]

BOSTON -- Lawmakers overwhelmingly approved a bill Tuesday that would make Massachusetts the first state to require that all of its citizens have some form of health insurance.

The plan — hailed as a national model and approved just 24 hours after the final details were released — would dramatically expand access to health care over the next three years.

If all goes as the supporters hope . . .

[AnalogReigns]

I don't know the details of the Mass plan, but this, like car insurance, could avoid a single payer system--the kind Kennedy and the far left are demanding.

I don't see how mandating private insurance would autmatically raise government taxes.

Switzerland--about the most privitized (and prosperous...a coincidence?) country in Europe mandates private health insurance--similar to the way most states do with car insurance, and it seems to work well for them--a LOT better than the socialist centralized health systems in the rest of Europe.

[longtermmemmory]

These are the rabble that cause pure democracies to eventually fall.

What next, outlaw unhapiness?

How about we outlaw bad thoughts?

These politicians want to make all business big business because they get better contributions from big business. They can force big business to do stuff via tax games.

This is definitly anti-small business. (and sooooo french)

[mysterio]

My state forces me to have car insurance, and I sure don't get a low rate guaranteed to me. Believe me, this is a great thing for insurance companies. They can just invent some cut rate plan that doesn't really cover anything and has a $25,000 deductable or some crap. Then they get the money and pay out little.

[ClaireSolt]

Did you know that Peter Lewis, owner of Progressive insurance, and buddy of George Soros made his billions fleecing the car insurance pool suckers? Who will be the next lucky ducky?

[ssaftler]

If Mitt signs this, he has as much chance as Harold Stassen of ever being president.

[Alberta's Child]

Why in the world would they leave the state? The bill forces everyone to buy their product or face penalties.

If you have any doubt about why they would leave the state, just look at MA's previous experience under its mandatory auto insurance laws -- under which drivers were required to have insurance, insurance companies were required to underwrite policies for any licensed driver, and the state imposed limits on how much the insurance companies could charge for these policies.

Insurance companies fled MA like white farmers fleeing Zimbabwe.

[epluribus_2]

And force everyone to subsidize our daughters abortion pills and your sons ADHD meds (we didn't even know he and 25% of the other kids had a mental illness, yet) - without your consent. Oh and that mandatory "do not resusitate order" - dont' worry about that formality, y'know, everybody signs it. It's for the common good.

[MaDeuce]

Louisiana requires people to have car insurance (if they own a car that is). You can look at this two ways- Bad for private business but good for taxpayer/ insured people who end up paying higher premiums and taxes(medicaid, etc) because of the uninsured. Uninsured still get sick,injured, etc, its just that somebody else has to pay.

Yeah, but you don't have to drive a car for example if you live in a city. And if you don't need a car, you don't need auto-insurance. If someone doesn't want health insurance they should not be forced to purchase it. If they get sick then they need to sell everything to cover the cost or they go without help. If hospitals were not FORCED to treat everyone who comes to their doorstep who can not pay, then this would not be an issue

[mewzilla]

Insurance companies are not charities. They exist to make money. Car insurance exists for reasons that are good public policy and if they make money for insurance companies, so be it. What MA is planning on doing is something completely different and is with the intent of driving private insurance companies out of the market. They want that and healthcare left to the state. And anyone who thinks socialized medicine is such a great idea should be made to spend some time in a country that has it.

[mysterio]

Well, it must be different here in Indiana. I know plenty of people who are paying a ton to stay legal, and every time I turn around there's a new insurance company here. I must get two or three letters a day trying to get me to switch companies.

[MaDeuce]

"Gov. Romney will sign this.

Remember that fact when he runs for prezzzz."

He is going nowhere. He is vehemently anti-2nd Amendment (even thought he won't say so). So don't be fooled by this huckster.

[darkangel82]

Peter Lewis is an @ss, I refuse to buy Progressive insurance because of him.

[lowbridge]

bump

[chapin2500]

How long do you think it's going to be until MA starts trying to completely dictate what they can charge and what they have to cover?

I yell GIEKO (sp) and all I get are chirping crickets. We're not aloud to buy insurance from certain companies.

[Freedom_no_exceptions]

Not completely, not yet...

You're right...I'm so pissed off, I overlooked the "completely" part of your post.

[mewzilla]

Your state prohibits certain car insurance companies from doing business within the state? Including GEICO?

[Bogeygolfer]

'In truth,as I see it, the most powerful lobby by far in this nation is that of the insurance industry. They have their tentacled in every part of life private and otherwise.

I think it is time to tell the insurance industry to piss off!'

That's why insurance companies' stocks have so outperformed the market these past few hundred years or so. Yeah right. Insurance companies are merely middle men who take premium from a group and pay the individual or some variation of spreading the risk. They charge of fee and they are better at it than the govt. They are easy targets for those who like to have easy scape goats handy and they often are dealing with very personal issues so again easy targets. They do a service in a free market economy, they have very difficult competition for the most part..i.e. they are fairly efficient. If you think they have it so good I sure hope you have a significant portion of your investments in ins companies...then you can be the evil insurance company owner mercilessly taking advantage of the poor and downtrodden.

[wordoffaith]

True but if hospitals could refuse based on ability to pay, there would be a mass uprising in the cities and the politicans know it

[mewzilla]

Some regulations make sense. Others don't. Socialized medicine makes none.

[maryz]

until MA starts trying to completely dictate what they can charge and what they have to cover?

Don't they already?