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Ear to the Ground

Mass. Pushes Mandatory Health Insurance

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Posted on Apr 4, 2006

In what would amount to the country’s first universal coverage plan, the Massachusetts Legislature approved a bill that will require all its residents to buy health insurace or face legal penalties.

How did they finally eke out a winning strategy for such a long-sought goal? The program is modeled on the state’s policy on auto insurance.

Washington Post:

BOSTON, April 4—The Massachusetts legislature approved a bill Tuesday that would require all residents to purchase health insurance or face legal penalties, which would make this the first state to tackle the problem of incomplete medical coverage by treating patients the same way it does cars.

Gov. Mitt Romney (R) supports the proposal, which would require all uninsured adults in the state to purchase some kind of insurance policy by July 1, 2007, or face a fine. Their choices would be expanded to include a range of new and inexpensive policies—ranging from about $250 per month to nearly free—from private insurers subsidized by the state.

Romney said the bill, modeled on the state’s policy of requiring auto insurance, is intended to end an era in which 550,000 people go without insurance and their hospital and doctor visits are paid for in part with public funds.

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By anonymous, April 6, 2006 at 9:26 am #
(Unregistered commenter)

Better than nothing but not good enough.  What’s best?  Universal single-payer health Insurance, that’s what, as in Canada, Japan and West Europe.  The only reason we don’t have it here is because of this ideological fixation on the Market uber a real health care system.  “Shove private health accounts down their throats.  They mustn’t even think of doing it the all for one and one for all way.  That’ll only breed dependency.” “And if people die because of insufficient coverage?”
“It’ll be their own damn fault.  They didn’t have what it takes.  Survival of the fittest, you know.”

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By wendy davis, April 6, 2006 at 5:48 am #
(Unregistered commenter)

One other factor that is not being considered is the fact that some citizens, like myself, do not go to doctors.  If half the health care money being spent in america is for alternative care, it seems rather ugly to be forced into buying health insurance or receive a hefty fine.  Especially if you are in the barely-scraping-by-financally group.  The “two dollar a month” government-paid policies always sound good until you apply for them....

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By michael, April 5, 2006 at 3:21 pm #
(Unregistered commenter)

Insurance companies certainly do exploit their opportunities and bilk people when they can, but their role is vital as a means of effectively distributing the hardship of unbeleivably expensive medical treatment for one person to all of their customers (while making a fat profit at the same time...)
They are a necessity. 
It would be nice if they ran their businesses with the goal of maximizing social benefit and not just maximizing profit.

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By Greg, April 5, 2006 at 2:23 pm #
(Unregistered commenter)

I think this is unconstitutional and should be challenged by businesses and individual under a class action lawsuit.  We have a free enterprise system.  We are supposed to be Free in the United States.  I see places not hiring, see people losing jobs, people not getting raises.  I also see people by discount insurance that won’t really cover them.  Thank goodness I don’t live in Massachusetts. If Indiana did that.  I would have to move.  It would actual be cheaper to pay the $1000 fee a year than get health insurance because it would be cheaper.  I hope Massachusetts Civil Liberties Union challenge this.  Maine is different because it voluntary not mandatory. I won’t be moving to Massachusetts.

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By John Strange, April 5, 2006 at 12:31 pm #
(Unregistered commenter)

The government can provide damage insurance for those who can afford to build vacation homes at the waters edge , force us to accept lower wages “ the immagrints are only doing what no one else will do” ! and weather you can afford it or not get health insurance! Robber barons are stripping blue collars of everything WE have worked for, The basics The ability to provide for our families, buy a home, send our kids to college, work an eight hour day, and someday be able to retire. Our government has gone from deregulating corporations and utilities to regulating the American people. Easy targets losing their voices, and in desparate need of real representation

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By A.A. Murphy, April 5, 2006 at 4:35 am #
(Unregistered commenter)

This scheme will accomplish little except to further enrich the insurance companies at public expense. Insurance itself should be outlawed,or at least discouraged by public policy, because it’s nothing more than a means of swindling those who can least afford it.

If this health insurance scam becomes Massachusetts law, it will open the door to similar scams across the nation. And they won’t stop with health insurance. Why not legally require home insurance, apartment insurance for renters, flood insurance, and even life insurance? There will be no end to it, once the insurance lobbyists smell those potential profits.

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