Mandatory health insurance–let’s cut out those free riders!!
Gov. Mitt Romney doesn’t just want to make health insurance universal. He wants to make it compulsory.
Inan opinion piece published in today’s Herald, the possible presidentialcontender pushes the ball way upfield in the healthcare debate bycalling “for a personal responsibility principle” in healthinsurance.
“Everyonemust either become insured or maintain an adequate savings account tocover their medical expenses,” Romney writes.
Theargument: that would cut out free-riders who use today’s system withoutpaying for it. “We cannot expect some citizens to pay for others whocan afford to pay some or all of their own way,” he writes.
Read the rest of the editorial.
I wonder if the Governor has read this article by the National Center for Policy Analysis, which concludes:
Realistically, the federal government cannot require the purchase ofhealth insurance and leave insurers, providers and state legislatorsfree to increase the price without limit. Mandating health insurance isan open invitation to federal regulation of the entire health caresystem.
Related information:
–the average cost of health insurance premiums for a family of four, 2004 (including COBRA portion of the premium): $9,950 (up 11% from previous year)
–the average inflation adjusted income of a family of four, 2003: $43,318 (cumulative decline of 3.25% since 2001)
–average annual health insurance premium, individual (including COBRA portion): $3,695
–annual income of a full time day care center employee, 2003: $7.18/hour ($14,360/yr)
–average annual increase in cost of health insurance, 1996-2004: 8.2%
Because the more you know…
See also Uninsured in America: Life and Death in the Land of Opportunity