How did this country survive for 250 years without the pre-existing coverage mandate? Now it is a good thing and a necessity so people won't "die in the streets".
Show me a single post prior to yesterday on this forum where anyone said that "THE MANDATE" is a good thing. Any mandate. I thought this was a conservative forum.
Show me any post that recognized that preexisting was a separate mandate/requirement.
To answer the other question. In the olden days it came down to a combination of charity or death I suppose.