Plus, we ALREADY are forced to do what we don't want to do -- pay for the uninsured. All three options -- the current system, Masscare, Obamacare all force us to do something we don't want to do. To allow people to go without health insurance when they can expect someone else to pay the tab for their treatment IS a de facto mandate on providers and taxpayers already.
Under federal law, nearly all hospitals are required to provide a certain level of treatment to all patients who visit their emergency rooms, regardless of those patients’ ability to pay (Emergency Medical Treatment and Active Labor Act of 1986). Those who take advantage of emergency services and then skip out on the charges, leaving taxpayers to cover the bill is a huge problem and adds to ALL of our costs of insurance and medical care. In a very real sense, we already have “universal health care” in the U.S., but many are not paying their share of the cost for the services they receive. We already pay for that in more ways than one.
You are content to live with the current forced mandate while others are not. Let's just face reality and admit we've got a mandate one way or the other, but, over time, having people covered will bring down costs in the long run.
Plus, we ALREADY are forced to do what we don’t want to do — pay for the uninsured. All three options — the current system, Masscare, Obamacare all force us to do something we don’t want to do. To allow people to go without health insurance when they can expect someone else to pay the tab for their treatment IS a de facto mandate on providers and taxpayers already.
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Just an FYI, not EVERYONE who does not have health insurance expects others to pay for it. Some choose alternative therapies, or do not use traditional medicine due to religious reasons. They save the money they would spend on health insurance and use it if they need it.
One person i know has medical bills averaging $500 per year. Cost of health coverage for her, if she could find a company that would insure her, is over $400 a month. She negotiates her own medical bills (including hospital ones), refuses treatment if it in not necessary and has catastrophic insurance “just in case”.
Health insurance IS NOT A RIGHT.
And as ejonesie said earlier, the Heritage foundation was an exercie. If they truly support it, then I know longer suport them.
ping