Moral hazard.
Incentives.
These are the things that liberals always leave out of almost every debate.
If we eliminate the “preexisting conditions” issue, on individual health plans, it is certain that many will refuse to buy coverage until they are sick, with the knowledge that they can not be turned down.
Every State has “high risk pools” or some way to deal with such people, already.
It is my experience that those who “work without a net” are often not willing to accept the consequences of refusing to buy insurance, once illness hits.
Government will only make this problem worse if we tell the public that they don't have to worry about having coverage until they “need” it.
No, I do not want mandates.
I want a free country where people can refuse insurance coverage, if they wish.
I also want a reasonable country that tells those, who refuse to buy insurance, that they must accept most of the risk, should something go wrong!
The hard part of having a (true) liberal society
is simply letting those who make bad choices
have to deal with the consequences of those choices.
You can’t have liberty without unfortunate situations.
Prov 14:4 (para) Where you have no oxen, you have no ox poop - but from the strength of an ox comes an abundant harvest.
(You have to take the bad with the good.)