Why A Health Insurance Mandate Is A Good Idea

In the aftermath of the passage of health care reform in the United States, conservatives are on the attack, promising a repeal. One of the sections drawing the most ire is the mandate that people carry health insurance coverage.

Though I know that it will outrage a fair number of people, including some of my friends, I belief a mandate to carry insurance is a good and responsible requirement. People forget that insurance is actually purchased more to protect others than to protect oneself. A man buys life insurance not for himself, but to protect his family in the event of his unexpected death. People purchase long term care insurance so they won't be a burden to their family or taxpayers in their old age. All but one or two states require automobile insurance and impose penalties for failure to comply. This insurance is required to protect others in the event you are at fault in an accident..it is your responsibility as a driver to have the financial ability (generally through insurance) to imdemnify another driver if you cause an accident that causes their loss of property.

I fail to understand why health insurance coverage is any different, given the potentially catastrophic financial costs of some health problems. Unfortunately, your failure to secure insurance to cover these catastrophic expenses comes at my (and the public in general) expense! The real truth of the matter is that when a person fails to purchase health insurance and is unable to pay their medical bills, the rest of society pays those bills. They are paid in higher charges at physicians offices, pharmacies, hospitals and medical supply companies, or in higher taxes when the government is forced to step in. I don't see how you have the right to make the rest of us pay because you choose not to act responsibly. Most opponents object to having to pay all sorts of costs either privately or through taxes so should we just allow you to go without insurance and then refuse to provide treatment when you have a major health event?

My final comment has to do with this conservative opposition to this idea. How many of you who oppose this idea realize that it was originally a Republican idea decades ago and was part of the 1993 Republican health care proposal made in response to Hillary Clinton's health care reform proposals? Those who led the 1994 Republican congressional revolution actually proposed and supported mandated health insurance coverage!