A “side note” on how a conservative could support an individual mandate.
Step 1 - Congress repeals the 1980’s laws that requires Hospitals/Emergency Rooms that they must treat everyone, regardless of their ability to pay. If someone shows up in the ER - the ER must stabilize...and assess the ability of the person to pay for treatment. (If the individual has no coverage and there is no charitable organization willing to cover treatment, the ER can turn the individual out with not further treatment.)
Step 2 - Congress passes a “mandate” that people need to buy an insurance policy that covers low risk/high cost procedures, emergency medical treatment due to accidents, etc. No coverage - no treatment. There would be no efforts to track down to see if people have coverage - if they don’t have coverage and need treatment and they can’t pay for it (and no family or church or ?? will guarantee the coverage) - then - too bad - no treatment.
Step 3 - Congress mandates that hospitals/doctors not engage in cost-shifting. Everyone should be charged the same, regardless of payment out of pocket or payment by 3rd party insurance. Perhaps some minor discounts for prompt pay, volume discounts, etc. - but the goal should be to stop charging individuals 2 to 3 times what an insurance company is billed for the same procedure.
Imagine if gas stations had the same policy - you pump first, and when you pay, you are charged based on information available about you ....some might pay $10/gallon, while others pay $3/gallon, while Juan goes in and pumps gas and drives away, not having to pay anything! It is blatantly wrong to do this!
Now - am I for an individual mandate - YES - if described above.
When states mandate that insurance companies must include all sorts of “boutique” treatments that are unrelated to what insurance is about - I am disgusted that it should be un-Constitutional at the state level. When states mandate that insurance coverage should be offered with no exclusions for pre-existing conditions - again, I am outraged. How about a “super surcharge” that elevates the cost of insurance for 5 years or so to anyone who didn’t have coverage or dropped coverage - so that the insurance company can re-coup costs from the person who tried to game the system.
There are conservative approaches to fix the health care system ...I just don’t see them being discussed.
None of what you discuss expands the power of government and/or bureaucrats.
That is why you won't hear democrats or republicans talking about it.
I carry catastrophic care (high per event deductible) and pay out of pocket. You would deny me that choice?
I'm not 'gaming a system' I'm choosing what is the most economical package that covers my needs.
There are conservative approaches to fix the health care system ...I just don’t see them being discussed.
Mandating I buy health insurance is not Conservative. Fining me for not paying for something I don't need is not Conservtive, either. So, I agree, I haven't seen any conservative approaches discussed, either.