Quote:
Originally posted by Tyrone Slothrop
Doubtless that market is distorted by the tax benefits to employers of providing health insurance. But not for those incentives, employers would be relatively different. Except that consumers have more power in the marketplace when they pool, as through an employer. If everyone was left to purchase health care individually, you'd see a lot more cream-skimming, to the detriment of many of us.
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True, but you could regulate the insurers more.
Quote:
Originally posted by Tyrone Slothrop
Instead of mandating that people purchase it, and struggling with the resulting enforcement/gap-filling problems, why not provide basic coverage through the government (directly or indirectly) and "make" people pay for it by taxing them?
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I would not be for the government directly providing it. Just look at the VA system if you need more of an explanation for why.
As for indirectly providing it, we do that already through medicare and medicaid. There is just a gap in there for the working poor. I'd be for a tax increase to provide vouchers for the working poor to buy healthinsurance - but only as much as is necessary. And if it includes mandatory purchasing of heatlh care to get these young people who have the money to buy it but choose to spend their money on other things into the system.
